Joshua’s review of The American Civil War: A Military History > Likes and Comments
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Had the exact same experience reading this. It felt like the half informed ramblings of an old aristocrat, which a quick look at the authors biography seems fairly true. The common soldier and black soldiers/slaves seemed to written about through a thinly veiled layer of contempt
Agreed. I’ve got 1/2 way through & am abandoning it. Disjointed, muddled, no meaningfull maps. Very disappointing. Think I’ll read the Jeff Sharra trilogy instead.
You don't want to read the Shaara books if you're interested in learning about the Civil War. The historiography of those things is pretty poor, and they're pretty politically Neo-Confederate, which isn't really the most objective way to approach the war. If you're ready to sink into a long project, the Shelby Foote trilogy is still one of the deeper and more enjoyable reads on the war, though it definitely has a Southern slant. The prose is pretty grand though, and the writing is very meticulous. If you want something equally literarily fun and still very educational, but with more of a Northern slant, Bruce Catton's books are great. I just finished reading his trilogy on the Army of the Potomac, and it was a wonderful read. I have never actually read McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, but conventional wisdom suggests it remains the best one volume history of the war. Any of the above would probably be a better experience than Shaara, and the Keegan book is just embarrassing...
I know you wrote this review years back, but I'm hoping this comment reaches you. I'm 50 pages in and waiting for the book to "start", but your review makes me sceptical.
This was the ONLY book on the American Civil War at my bookshop - the dominant chain in the UK, not a small local shop.
Other than your comment about Battle Cry of Freedom, is there a single volume book that might serve as a better introduction to the subject for a UK reader? And is there anything you might recommend which tells me women's role? Many thanks.
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Charlie
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Apr 05, 2023 08:59AM
Had the exact same experience reading this. It felt like the half informed ramblings of an old aristocrat, which a quick look at the authors biography seems fairly true. The common soldier and black soldiers/slaves seemed to written about through a thinly veiled layer of contempt
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Agreed. I’ve got 1/2 way through & am abandoning it. Disjointed, muddled, no meaningfull maps. Very disappointing. Think I’ll read the Jeff Sharra trilogy instead.
You don't want to read the Shaara books if you're interested in learning about the Civil War. The historiography of those things is pretty poor, and they're pretty politically Neo-Confederate, which isn't really the most objective way to approach the war. If you're ready to sink into a long project, the Shelby Foote trilogy is still one of the deeper and more enjoyable reads on the war, though it definitely has a Southern slant. The prose is pretty grand though, and the writing is very meticulous. If you want something equally literarily fun and still very educational, but with more of a Northern slant, Bruce Catton's books are great. I just finished reading his trilogy on the Army of the Potomac, and it was a wonderful read. I have never actually read McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, but conventional wisdom suggests it remains the best one volume history of the war. Any of the above would probably be a better experience than Shaara, and the Keegan book is just embarrassing...
I know you wrote this review years back, but I'm hoping this comment reaches you. I'm 50 pages in and waiting for the book to "start", but your review makes me sceptical. This was the ONLY book on the American Civil War at my bookshop - the dominant chain in the UK, not a small local shop.
Other than your comment about Battle Cry of Freedom, is there a single volume book that might serve as a better introduction to the subject for a UK reader? And is there anything you might recommend which tells me women's role? Many thanks.