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10 Big Questions of the American Civil War
Listening Length: 4 hours and 4 minutes
In 10 Big Questions of the American Civil War, join noted author and Civil War historian Dr. Caroline E. Janney, a professor at the University of Virginia, for a pointed examination of some of the most intriguing, provocative, and enduring questions about the Civil War era. The aim of these 10 eye-opening lectures is to separate myth from memory. Students will learn...
Why the Southern states actually seceded
The reasons that soldiers on both sides of the conflict chose to fight
How conscription of soldiers promoted the idea that the Civil War was a "rich man's war"
Why emancipation wasn't defined by the Emancipation Proclamation but by a process that unfolded over years
What social, political, and economic implications arose as the Civil War generation choose how to remember their experiences
What various relief efforts, performed by women, existed on both sides of the war
Whether the Battle of Gettysburg really turned the tide in favor of the Union
Dr. Janney will help you to sort through topics that still confound both scholars and students of the Civil War. What's more, the author reveals the deep, intense, and sometimes violent nature of Civil War memory that still permeates throughout the United States of America.
In 10 Big Questions of the American Civil War, join noted author and Civil War historian Dr. Caroline E. Janney, a professor at the University of Virginia, for a pointed examination of some of the most intriguing, provocative, and enduring questions about the Civil War era. The aim of these 10 eye-opening lectures is to separate myth from memory. Students will learn...
Why the Southern states actually seceded
The reasons that soldiers on both sides of the conflict chose to fight
How conscription of soldiers promoted the idea that the Civil War was a "rich man's war"
Why emancipation wasn't defined by the Emancipation Proclamation but by a process that unfolded over years
What social, political, and economic implications arose as the Civil War generation choose how to remember their experiences
What various relief efforts, performed by women, existed on both sides of the war
Whether the Battle of Gettysburg really turned the tide in favor of the Union
Dr. Janney will help you to sort through topics that still confound both scholars and students of the Civil War. What's more, the author reveals the deep, intense, and sometimes violent nature of Civil War memory that still permeates throughout the United States of America.
5 pages, Audible Audio
Published October 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 6, 2025
I have never read much about the American Civil War, other than the school dictated course when I was in High School. I found this very interesting as I didn't remember much about it, and the 10 questions gave me a broad view of what the Civil War was about and how it impacted American History during the War, and the future. I do wonder about her insistence that slavery had a lot to do with why the South fought. It seems a bit simplified, though I guess this is a brief history.At the same time if the South depended highly on slavery for their economy... I am not sure.
I wanted to listen to this before I delved into any books on that time period. Like I said, my memory of it is very bad and this gave me a good overview. I really hope that it will be enough when I read other books on the American Civil War, but if anyone has good recommendations for a newbie I would really appreciate it.
I wanted to listen to this before I delved into any books on that time period. Like I said, my memory of it is very bad and this gave me a good overview. I really hope that it will be enough when I read other books on the American Civil War, but if anyone has good recommendations for a newbie I would really appreciate it.
February 28, 2022
There is really nothing new in these lectures for those who are already familiar with the Civil War. The lectures are ok for what they are, but this author is too political. Her conclusions caused me to research more deeply into the author's published work rather than the subject matter. When I found that she pedals her history in current, highly-biased political "news" sources and that her stereotypical outlook of those on the other side of the political aisle likely means she would dislike me, personally, based on her argument that I hold views I actually don't hold, she lost me as a reader. Any semblance of fairness disappeared, and I therefore can't trust her work. Those who enjoy the Great Courses on Civil War topics should instead listen to those by Gary W. Gallagher, who avoids partisan politics in his work and focuses just on the history itself. I am disappointed in this author.
February 3, 2022
The content is not bad but I've never been a fan of History as Current Affairs or Current Affairs as History or We must make history relevant/interesting/real by weaving it into today's headlines. This falls squarely into this.
April 18, 2020
(Relatively) short set of 10 lectures on the Civil War covering various myths and revisionist history surrounding the war. Caroline E. Janney boasts an impressive resume and covers some really important and timely topics in each lecture, including the causes of the Civil War, class/sex/race issues and stratification in the war, Lincoln's role in freeing the slaves, and a discussion of Confederate monuments and the history behind them. I learned a great deal about the war and I think each of these lectures could likely be extended to their own course.
Would recommend!
Would recommend!
May 27, 2024
Essays on important questions of the Civil War.
June 2, 2024
An excellent overview of the Civil War. Asks questions like did Lincoln actually free the slaves, was Gettysburg the turning point we often think of it as, and much more. Highly recommend.
August 4, 2021
Although short for an entry in The Great Courses, this is valuable. It digs into some common misconceptions:
- The South was fighting to defend slavery, pure and simple. They were concerned that the rest of the country would outlaw slavery, or at least make it more difficult (for example, by not returning those who had escaped)
- The North was fighting to keep their young country from disintegrating. Ending slavery was not the foremost motivation. Even when they did take steps against slavery, it was largely to weaken the South
- Women did a great deal to help during the Civil War, on both sides. Up to this point, it was thought women should not see or touch the body of men they didn't know. The Civil War changed that and let to the idea that most nurses are women.
- It's because of the Civil War that we had the draft, military cemeteries, income tax and more. Or at least, those wouldn't have been developed until much later.
- Gettysburg was not the key turning point of the war. It wasn't even a major turning point of the Civil War.
- Shortly after the Civil War ended, people in the North were saying they had gallantly fought for the freedom of enslaved people, while people in the South talked about state's rights and a noble cause - surely it had nothing to do with slavery.
- Pretty much right from the first generation after the Civil War, people in the South were erecting monuments, literally rewriting textbooks (to say, for example, that enslaved Africans were very happy and loyal) and defending the memory of the Confederacy. (And to think we're still seeing all of that today!)
Definitely good history for us all to learn.
- The South was fighting to defend slavery, pure and simple. They were concerned that the rest of the country would outlaw slavery, or at least make it more difficult (for example, by not returning those who had escaped)
- The North was fighting to keep their young country from disintegrating. Ending slavery was not the foremost motivation. Even when they did take steps against slavery, it was largely to weaken the South
- Women did a great deal to help during the Civil War, on both sides. Up to this point, it was thought women should not see or touch the body of men they didn't know. The Civil War changed that and let to the idea that most nurses are women.
- It's because of the Civil War that we had the draft, military cemeteries, income tax and more. Or at least, those wouldn't have been developed until much later.
- Gettysburg was not the key turning point of the war. It wasn't even a major turning point of the Civil War.
- Shortly after the Civil War ended, people in the North were saying they had gallantly fought for the freedom of enslaved people, while people in the South talked about state's rights and a noble cause - surely it had nothing to do with slavery.
- Pretty much right from the first generation after the Civil War, people in the South were erecting monuments, literally rewriting textbooks (to say, for example, that enslaved Africans were very happy and loyal) and defending the memory of the Confederacy. (And to think we're still seeing all of that today!)
Definitely good history for us all to learn.
March 20, 2021
I have read a lot of books on the American Civil War that trace the development of the war, often in excruciating detail, from beginning to end. Caroline Janney brought a refreshingly new perspective to discussing the war and in doing so made the subject matter extremely relevant to modern times. She does this by asking pressing questions that modern audiences raise about the war and then tracing their answers in enough detail to show their complexity while also being convincing. For example, Did Lincoln Free the Slaves? The answer, of course, is yes he did, but he didn’t do it in a vacuum totally by himself and Janney shows how he came to do so. The parts I found most interesting were those that involved why the war was fought and how we remember it. Humans being human, we have changed our thinking about these things as time went on. When the Civil War began, the South very much thought that it was about slavery, but after losing the war they edited their story in an attempt to make their cause seem more high minded and just. Similarly, at the start of the war Northerners did not the war to be about slavery and insisted it was about preserving the union, but after the war it was the emancipation of the slaves that they most focused upon, recognizing it to have been a noble outcome of the struggle. Overall, this is one of the best books I’ve read on the Civil War because of its focus on issues and Janney’s willingness to tie those issues to modern debates in our society.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
May 17, 2022
Well, truth is always enlightening when you stop to consider the society manipulated by ignorance.
So ask yourself has the law changed about slavery in the states or just federal? If Roe vs Wade is overturned and states get their rights back what other federal (global) laws have been enacted which is called creating / making law and what can the states fight now to get their control over their lives their immediate society back and now how much tax money will be returned to tax payers now we are not funding abortions or fertility issues which are the individuals responsibility.
Do you want your tax $ to fund something you are ultimately opposed. What about prisoner cable tv, 3 meals a day, college, gym facilities, medical care for the person who raped or killed your dad or little sister and now you are paying to care for that person for how many years the courts which you also pay for give him because the police also funded by you caught him and of course he did it to others so they got bonuses for quick turn around and the DA which you also pay received a bonus all the while the DNA …
well tell me are all males 18 now required to sign up for the selective service? Okay which ones? And does that include trans? And tell me how many farmers get paid to not plant their fields all the while prices of food are sky rocketing so you are paying for that FEDERAL program too just as you are paying for the Department of Labor to make sure certain people can work or not work or claim EEO complaints and who do you think paid for all those statutes knocked down and damaged!!
So ask yourself has the law changed about slavery in the states or just federal? If Roe vs Wade is overturned and states get their rights back what other federal (global) laws have been enacted which is called creating / making law and what can the states fight now to get their control over their lives their immediate society back and now how much tax money will be returned to tax payers now we are not funding abortions or fertility issues which are the individuals responsibility.
Do you want your tax $ to fund something you are ultimately opposed. What about prisoner cable tv, 3 meals a day, college, gym facilities, medical care for the person who raped or killed your dad or little sister and now you are paying to care for that person for how many years the courts which you also pay for give him because the police also funded by you caught him and of course he did it to others so they got bonuses for quick turn around and the DA which you also pay received a bonus all the while the DNA …
well tell me are all males 18 now required to sign up for the selective service? Okay which ones? And does that include trans? And tell me how many farmers get paid to not plant their fields all the while prices of food are sky rocketing so you are paying for that FEDERAL program too just as you are paying for the Department of Labor to make sure certain people can work or not work or claim EEO complaints and who do you think paid for all those statutes knocked down and damaged!!
December 29, 2022
I learned about history, including:
- Union northerners were just as racist as Southeners. Northeners initially fought to keep the country together.
- The South had threatened many times to secede, and people thought they were just crying wolf. It was a surprise when they actually seceded due to Lincoln getting elected.
- Johnson talked a big game during his campaign about punishing those who committed treason by seceding and starting a war. But then he reneged after he became president due to Lincoln's assassination.
- The North did not bury Confederate soldiers. Southern women led efforts to memoralize their soldiers and erected many statues.
- The Civil War kicked off income tax (to pay for the war), the draft, and the veteran pension (which eventually led to public acceptance of Medicare and Social Security).
- Union northerners were just as racist as Southeners. Northeners initially fought to keep the country together.
- The South had threatened many times to secede, and people thought they were just crying wolf. It was a surprise when they actually seceded due to Lincoln getting elected.
- Johnson talked a big game during his campaign about punishing those who committed treason by seceding and starting a war. But then he reneged after he became president due to Lincoln's assassination.
- The North did not bury Confederate soldiers. Southern women led efforts to memoralize their soldiers and erected many statues.
- The Civil War kicked off income tax (to pay for the war), the draft, and the veteran pension (which eventually led to public acceptance of Medicare and Social Security).
July 21, 2023
10 Big Questions of the American Civil War is a quick and dirty lesson on the Civil War. Janney takes a look at ten common questions about specific aspects of the war, and provides a short discussion of each.
Janney certainly seems to have the credentials to speak as an expert on this part of history, yet the depth here is very minimal, somewhere around a high school level. Here are some example questions and their short answers:
Was the war really about freeing the slaves? Not really.
Did Gettysburg alter the course of the war? Nope.
How important were women in the war? Very important.
Annoyingly, she occasionally get political and tries to draw parallels to current affairs, which usually feels irrelevant.
Most people will find nothing new here if they took some basic high school history.
Janney certainly seems to have the credentials to speak as an expert on this part of history, yet the depth here is very minimal, somewhere around a high school level. Here are some example questions and their short answers:
Was the war really about freeing the slaves? Not really.
Did Gettysburg alter the course of the war? Nope.
How important were women in the war? Very important.
Annoyingly, she occasionally get political and tries to draw parallels to current affairs, which usually feels irrelevant.
Most people will find nothing new here if they took some basic high school history.
August 13, 2021
This relatively short set of lectures (from a Great Courses lecturer, Dr Janney) adroitly summarizes the history, myths and misconceptions about the tragic American Civil War. These sometimes eye-opening lectures can explain much of our troubled social discussions and disagreements that continue even to today. Even the events of January 6, 2021 has roots extending back to our civil war. Will it be the course of the destruction of our country? We all need to understand our history, free from myths and half truths...good or bad...in order to avoid a repeat of our worst conflict.
October 12, 2021
My son and I listened to this while I took him to and from school. He loves history and the civil war era is especially interesting to him. We learned a lot and have a lot of little places to take our studies now. I thought the information was really well laid out and useful. It made me rethink some particular parts of that time period and I feel like it really sparked more interest for both of us, which is ultimately what you want from a book like this.
July 6, 2021
I took off a star due to the glossing over of how the Civil War impacted Native Americans. In fact, when the author discussed the 14th Amendment, she didn't even mention that Native Americans were explicitly excluded. In fact, the whole book felt very white-oriented. She acknowledges that, but I thought she could have spent a lot more time on Black Americans as well as Native Americans.
July 20, 2021
Excellent. Professor gives some new insights into questions about the meaning of the Civil War---What really changed, was it a total war, did Lincoln free the slaves, was it a rich man's war? She disagrees convincingly with scholars such as James McPherson. I did find Professor's speaking speed a bit slow for me, but no problem with Audible as I just set the speed to 1.2x.
February 14, 2022
Overall a very interesting listen with a lot of historical contexts I was unaware of. However, the unnecessary political rant in the beginning about the Charlottesville Riot in 2017 was a ridiculous addition. Other than that portion of the audiobook it stayed relatively objective throughout, though.
January 6, 2025
Amazing how much Professor Janney fits into this short course. I learned a ton and loved her perspectives on the war and the revisionist mindset. I have taken courses on the Civil War before including Professor Gary W. Gallagher (also has an amazing lecture series but much longer). They pair nicely together and I strongly recommend both. Incredibly insightful and enjoyable.
March 8, 2025
I apprrciate Dr. Janney's 10 Questions as an overview to the Civil War time period. To academic scholars, there is not a lot of new information. However, her organization of the content into the questions is a brilliant way to address issues without being political.
August 28, 2025
In this four hour audio from The Great Courses, historian Caroline E. Janney reviews the Civil War and what it changed. The highlight for me were her comments on Confederate monuments as they were new and very timely.
March 5, 2021
Very informative on various topics ofnthe civil war.
April 15, 2021
This is every argument you've ever heard about the Civil War, and the impact of it, but in "bite-size" pieces.
August 9, 2021
Thorough and engaging. I especially recommend the first and last lectures if you want a clearer understanding of the context of current controversies in the Southern states.
September 20, 2021
3.5/5 Solid topical four-hour survey of my nation’s Civil War…from causes to impacts on our central government and culture.
December 10, 2021
lost me when the claim gettysburg wasn't a turning point in the war by pointing out all the things that made gettysburg the turning point in the war.
February 17, 2022
Very interesting
October 4, 2023
Very good. On the shorter side would have loved to learn even more about each answer. But still got a lot out of it.
January 6, 2025
3.5 stars — most of the info I knew. I liked the tie to our modern viewpoints and how that influences the way we look at history
December 5, 2025
Caroline Janney covers the US Civil War pretty well. This is worth listening to.
February 17, 2024
Janney's "The Great Courses" lecture (which sort of counts as an audiobook) is easily the best short overview of key questions and facts surrounding the Civil War. It'd be the one audiobook I'd recommend to folks who need to disabuse themselves of various myths surrounding the conflict.
Janney pokes holes into the "Lost Cause Myth" and its attendant fictions--such as the lie that war wasn't fought because of slavery, or that slaves on the plantation were a happy and contented lot (they weren't). She also explores the role of women during the war and after it.
Janney's lecture, as well as TGC's Civil War lecture by Gary Gallagher, are superb introductions to the Civil War, and may break new ground for fans of Civil War history.
Janney pokes holes into the "Lost Cause Myth" and its attendant fictions--such as the lie that war wasn't fought because of slavery, or that slaves on the plantation were a happy and contented lot (they weren't). She also explores the role of women during the war and after it.
Janney's lecture, as well as TGC's Civil War lecture by Gary Gallagher, are superb introductions to the Civil War, and may break new ground for fans of Civil War history.
September 15, 2025
This subject is too big to handle in 10 lectures, but it was a good overview. I learned a few things. I'll probably listen to these lectures again.
...And I just did. Still loved it.
...And I just did. Still loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews