The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume 1: Fort Sumter to Kernstown: First Blood--The Thing Gets Underway

The Civil War: A Narrative #1

by Shelby Foote

The Civil War, Vol 1: Fort Sumter to First Blood - The Thing Gets ...

Genres: History, Civil War, War, American Civil War, Nonfiction, Epic, American History

289 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an American novelist and a noted historian of the American Civil War, writing a massive, three-volume history of the war entitled The Civil War: A Narrative. With geographic and cultural roots in the Mississippi Delta, Foote's life and writing paralleled the radical shift from the agrarian planter system of the Old South to the Civil Rights era of the New South. Foote was relatively unknown to the general public for most of his career until his appearance in Ken Burns's PBS documentary The Civil War in 1990, where he introduced a generation of Americans to a war that he believed was "central to all our lives."

Reviews

[Bob Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent primer on the Civil War encompassing the wide range of events from West Point graduate Jefferson Davis saying goodbye to the country he'd sworn an oath through to a battle, Perryville, few have heard of. Definitely worth the time.

[Thewhitewhale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exhaustive and incredibly entertaining account of the most important war in American History, Shelby Foote has effictively written the only account of the War Between the States that needs to be written.

Thouroughly researched and brilliantly written, this narrative of the Civil War feels more like a gripping historical novel rather than a piece of serious history. Foote had an uncanny ability to bring to life the sheer epicness of the civil war to life. The characters are treated fairly and sympathetically while refusing to shy away from their flaws. The settings are vivid and awe-inspiring. The amount of detail is astounding.

To put it simply, if you are going to read ANY book about the Civil War, make it this series. You will not be disappointed.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Clear expostulation of the political forces leading to the run up to the War and interesting facts about Lincoln (his law partner was a binge drinker at best) and Jefferson Davis. Recommended, if you can find it.

[Shayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What truly stricks me is that so many of the generals went to school together and knew each other. Some had dated the same girls or played on the same sports teams together. The details are hard to follow because I get confused with the names of everyone but someone who has more knowledge of this topic would really get a full view of what was happening and the people involved.

[Nicolas Hoffmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible undertaking. I cannot even imagine it without modern technology. It rushes between every major battle of the Civil War and is a triumph of history. Though some of the interpretation feels dated, the immensity of the work is unchallenged.