The American Civil War discussion

Hi everyone -- I like to read books on battles more than books on units or individuals (not that those can't be good too, just not my favorite).

So, I'm just looking for suggestions. They can be obscure -- living in Northern Virginia, our used book stores have great Civil War sections. Thanks everyone!

Look for some of Peter Cozzen's books on various battles, his are particularly well written.

I have really been liking Stephen Sears' books. He has written about the Peninsular Campaign, Antietam, Chancelorsvile, and Gettysburg.

I think Stephen Sears is one of the best authors along with Peter Cozzen who's books are pretty decent and John Michael Priest but also try Gordon C Rhea for his four volumes covering the spring 1864 Overland campaign: "The Battle of the Wilderness", "The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House & the Road to Yellow Tavern", "To the North Anna River" and "Cold Harbor". Another favourite Civil War author of mine is Noah Andre Trudeau.

I have all four Gordeon Rhea's books. exceptionally done, but it's probably a little too much for the average reader.

One of my favorite Civil War authors that has yet to me mentioned is Bruce Catton. His book "A Stillness at Appomattox" won the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 1954. I have read his Centennial History of the Civil War trilogy which included "The Coming Fury," "Terrible Swift Sword," and "Never Call Retreat" which were exceptional.

Mark Adkins Gettysburg Companion. Best reference book I've ever seen on Gettysburg. Would serve the newbie as well as the experienced researcher well. Just a wealth of helpful maps, diagrams, charts, photos -sections on how different tactic and maneuvers were performed, how equipment was used, what the equipment looked like.
Really first rate!

I just recently did a paper on the Battle of Antietam, and the book called The Antietam Campaign by John Cannan was a extraordinary value to me. There is a whole series called the Campaign Series. Hard to find on the Internet though. I can't really find much on any of them. If anyone knows more about these books, please share.

Sdoconnor wrote: "I just recently did a paper on the Battle of Antietam, and the book called The Antietam Campaign by John Cannan was a extraordinary value to me. There is a whole series called the Campaign Series. ..."

Have you read the Stephen Sears book - Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam. I read it years ago and found it quite engaging.

I loved Stephen Sears' books on Antietnam and the Seven Days and thought them to be some of the best books on the subject.

and by Stephen W. Sears

I am still reading his Chancellorsville, which I borrowed. Soon as I finish that I cna borrow her Gettysburg Actually I could probably borrow it before but I also have her Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan which I have barely even started.

Thank you all for suggesting these books. I will be sure to get my hands on these as soon as possible. I am surprised that there are not a good amount of comments here. Surely there are a large amount of people that know of extremely helpful books.

Sdoconnor wrote: "Thank you all for suggesting these books. I will be sure to get my hands on these as soon as possible. I am surprised that there are not a good amount of comments here. Surely there are a large amo..."

Sdoconner - Greetings. I noticed the same thing and left the group. In my experience in various other Goodreads groups, I check the following: Does the group have a moderator(Some groups don't), when is the last time the moderator responded to a post?; when is the last time members of the group responded to a post? In this particular group I think the subject is just too vast. I think you would get more passion if the scope of the subject was narrowed - Say, Antietam only, or Gettysburg, or the Run Away slave law etc....

Donald wrote: "Sdoconnor wrote: "Thank you all for suggesting these books. I will be sure to get my hands on these as soon as possible. I am surprised that there are not a good amount of comments here. Surely the..."

It just sounds to me like you want the subject matter to be too narrow.

Jan C wrote: "Donald wrote: "Sdoconnor wrote: "Thank you all for suggesting these books. I will be sure to get my hands on these as soon as possible. I am surprised that there are not a good amount of comments h..."

Jan - I guess we have an honest difference of opinion. I can't imagine how a subject like Gettysburg can possibly be narrow. I was responding to Sdoconnor's comment that "I am surprised that there are not a good amount of comments here." What is your answer to that question?

I have no answer as to why they haven't responded. I responded. Aussie Rick responded. You responded.

Maybe everyone else has already gone on vacation. It's Christmastime and maybe they have better things to do than to respond to every question.

Maybe they've gone their own way.

I don't know why others haven't responded.

She put one comment up there about Antietam, so maybe she isn't even interested in Gettysburg. Gettysburg only covers 4 days out of 4 years. And, actually, Vicksburg covers the exact same 4 days. That is why I consider it narrow.

I too would like to see more posts in this group, but the answer for me would NOT be groups limited to discussions of particular campaigns or battles. That's just way too narrow for me.

Hi Sdoconner, some other decent books on Antietam that I enjoyed were:


by John Michael Priest
Reviews:
"The first full study of the battle." - Library Journal collections.

"John Michael Priest has done an admirable job capturing in detail this often overlooked precursor to the battle of Antietam." - Journal of American History

"Using an impressive array of primary accounts, Priest captures what it was like for both the Union and Confederate junior grade officers and their men on the march and in battle." - Journal of Southern History

"Priest has reprised the meticulous research and compelling story-telling that earned acclaim for his first book, Antietam: The Soldiers Battle, in a worthy prequel." - America's Civil War

by John M. Priest
Reviews:
"Priest has admirably fulfilled the goal of his book Antietam by giving us a vivid portrait of the individuals who fought at Antietam, their combat, heroism, and death. No one who wants to know more about Civil War combat and the enlisted man can afford to miss this new study. This well-researched, well-written study is highly recommended to all students of the Civil War." - The Journal of American History

"A very successful treatment of Antietam from the soldiers' eyeview. As such it will take its place along with the more conventional works of Murfin and Sears as one of the indispensable references on the battle." - Military History

"If you only buy one Civil War book this year...this is the book to buy....This volume will grab you and keep you enthralled until the final shots are fired. Don't miss it." - Military Images

"From dawn to dusk, individuals in blue and gray -nearly 200 of them - run, limp, shout, and cry across Priest's stage, each delivering a personal soliloquy from a diary, a letter, or other recollection. The audience is spellbound, mesmerized by tale after tale....Today melts into 1862, and you experience the soldiers' stories of torture and trauma on September 17....A wonderful companion on the battlefield." - Blue and Gray

"Written in a style that reminds me of John Keegan's The Face of Battle, the author takes you down to the common soldier's level with all the dirt, blood, horror, confusion, cowardice, and heroics....As vivid a portrait of 1860s warfare as I've ever read....An excellent account of a pivotal battle and I highly recommend it." - Confederate Veteran

"Filled with heroism and cowardice, death, pain, and humor....[Among the] fine works of military history....Has some of the best maps this reviewer has seen on the 12-hour battle." - Roanoke Times and World News

"The best battlefield first-person compilation I have read....Here, in 316 well-illustrated pages, is the closest I have ever come to feeling Civil War combat....Here it all is - -the tactics, the movement, the truth about warfare." - The Civil War Times

"An interesting and personal view of the fight....Useful and fascinating....The book is also graced with a splendid introduction by Jay Luvaas, who perhaps knows more about the Civil War than any man alive." - The Washington Times

"Priest has presented the fight at Antietam in a new, refreshing, human, and long-overdue manner....Priest has done a first-rate job of research and a dedicated job of writing." - Richmond News-Leader

"Under Priest's skilled hands, soldiers come to life- - and death - in this outstanding piece of work." - Inside Books

Another book that I am lead to believe is one of the best books on Antietam is; "The Gleam Of Bayonets: The Battle Of Antietam And Robert E. Lee's Maryland Campaign, September, 1862" by James V. Murfin. I have an old second-hand hardback copy in my library but am yet to read it :)

by James V. Murfin
Publishers blurb:
One of the bloodiest days in American military history, the Battle of Antietam turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the North and delivered the first major defeat to Robert E. Lee’s army. In The Gleam of Bayonets, James V. Murfin gives a compelling account of the events and personalities involved in this momentous battle. The gentleness and patience of Lincoln, the vacillations of McClellan, and the grandeur of Lee—all unfold before the reader. The battle itself is presented with precision and scope as Murfin blends together atmosphere and fact, emotions and tactics, into a dramatic and coherent whole.

The Author:
James V. Murfin (1929–1987) spent most of his life chronicling the dramatic battle that took place close to his boyhood home of Hagerstown, Maryland. He worked for the National Park Service in the Publication’s Division at Harpers Ferry for seventeen years and was the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including Harpers Ferry and National Parks of the U.S.A. The Murfin Theater at Antietam National Battlefield Visitors Center is named in his honor.

Another good book for me on a particular battle which although is probarbly not the best book on the battle written but is the one that started it all for me was Glenn Tucker's; "Hide Tide at Gettysburg".

by Glenn Tucker

I found a series of books by the author Noah Andre Trudeau covering the last few months of the war excellent accounts on particular battles:

by Noah Andre Trudeau
Review:
"This popularly written account of the initial months of Grant's decisive Virginia campaign against Lee will find a ready audience among Civil War buffs. Done in the episodic, you-are-there style of such writers as Cornelius Ryan, it rests mainly on a host of published first-hand accounts and regimental histories. By 1864 the war in the East had become a test of wills and endurance. How the ordinary soldiers and civilians measured up to that test through 40 days of horrific carnage is the book's main focus. Although devoid of sweeping conclusions and with few notes, the book's presentation of the campaign's strategy and the tactics of individual battles is clear. Excellent for the general reader and libraries of any size." - Library Journal

by Noah Andre Trudeau
Review:
"Where Richard Sommers ( Richmond Redeemed , LJ 3/15/81) gave us four days of battle, Trudeau canvases the whole 292-day campaign for Petersburg and Richmond. Trudeau salts his narrative with healthy doses of official testimony and soldiers' personal accounts to create a brisk documentary flavor of campfire and war council. In minute detail he covers every clod of Virginia soil trod by Grant and Lee in the final days of the war. His telling of the horrors of the Crater and his vignettes of officers are compelling, but overall Trudeau fails to show how Petersburg was "the South's Gethsemane." The author writes about battles more than the Southern soul or the politics of war. Still, he dashes several myths about Petersburg--that Lee's army was starved and hopelessly outnumbered--and provides one of the most arresting narratives of any Civil War campaign. This is the stuff of high drama." - Library Journal

by Noah Andre Trudeau
Reviews:
"In this concluding volume of a trilogy, Trudeau (Bloody Roads South; The Last Citadel) relies on firsthand accounts to tell the compelling story of the Confederacy's death throes. Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, marked only the beginning of the end: the Civil War had gone on too long to end in a single stroke. Confederate government was still intact, and large Confederate forces remained in the field. While Union cavalry ravaged northern Alabama, Union infantry stormed the fortress of Mobile. Men continued to die in obscure skirmishes from Texas to South Carolina. Trudeau's richly textured presentation never loses focus in depicting the complex course of events from the final days of the Army of Northern Virginia, through the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, to the growing recognition in the South and the North that the great national tragedy was finally over. This is a major contribution to the field." - Publishers Weekly

"Trudeau wonderfully concludes his Civil War trilogy ( Bloody Roads South , Fawcett, 1993; The Last Citadel , LJ 10/15/91) by looking beyond Appomattox. This affecting work explains the circumstances that led to Lee's surrender, but it also examines Lincoln's assassination, the single event that provided closure to the war. Detailing the tragic events that followed the actual fighting also provide a clearer picture of the postwar United States and its attempts to be one nation again. It is impossible not to be moved by the graphic descriptions of the sinking of the Sultana , the flight of Jefferson Davis, and the last battle of the war in the west. This is a fitting conclusion to a series that masterfully intertwines personal accounts with descriptive narrative. In the words of Lieutenant Colonel Branson upon hearing the last volley: 'That winds up the war'." - Library Journal

Thanks a lot Aussie Rick. I will be sure to check these out. I really need to build my Civil War library.

Hi Sdoconnor, I hope you find a few that you like :)

I read a book a while back called " Roads to Antietam". It shows both armies(U.S. & C.S.) and what they did and their movements up to and after the battle. It was a good read

I am reading GettysburgStephen W. Sears.

I recently read this book which I thought told a pretty good story of the Wilmington Campaign.


by Chris E., Jr. Fonvielle

Anybody have any good book recommendations regarding the Mobile Campaign? Particularly any regarding Spanish Fort or General Canby

A series of books about the Western campaign by Cozzens are very well worht the effort to understand what happened in 1862-1863.

Here is his home page with his Civil War books:
http://www.petercozzens.com/CIVIL-WAR...

Really looking forward to Winston Groom's upcoming
Shiloh, 1862: The First Great and Terrible Battle of the Civil War because I really liked his Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville.

In the meantime, what do you think is the best book so far about Shiloh?



I've read a few great reviews of Cunningham's book and the park service loves it, but the Goodreads community doesn't seem to feel the same. I'll probably read it anyway, but I was curious if there was anything else really noteworthy out there on the subject.

I started the book, and though it was well researched, I found it to be very dry and was unable to complete it.

I've read a few books on Shiloh including "Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" by Cunningham and also found it a bit dry but still readable. Others that I have read that may interest you are:

by James L. McDonough

by Larry J. Daniel

I'm also looking forward to Winston Groom's new book as well :)

If you're seeking non-fiction recommendations, start with this short list of authors, and then use their bibliographies or works cited to expand to other topics. Each writer has a series of books on different campaigns or phases of the war, and they are all very good, some even great.

Shelby Foote - entire war
James McPherson - entire war
William C. Davis - battles of 1861 and 1862 in Eastern theater
Stephen Sears - battles of 1862-1863 in Eastern Theater
Peter Cozzens - battles of 1862-1863 in Eastern Theater
Bearrs - Vicksburg campaign
Gordon Rhea - battles of 1864 in Eastern Theater
Noah Trudeau
Jeffrey Wert

Starting with these 9 as the foundation, you can't go wrong, and the works they used to do their research will take you lots of different topics and battles. See my bookshelf title Civil War NF and you can see where I branched off from these :)

Thanks for the recommendations, Greg! I checked out your bookshelf added a bunch to my TBR list. Looks like I have a lot of reading to do!

Jess,

you might also want to add Bruce Canton to your list.
Before I read Foote, I thought he was the best.

That's Bruce Catton

Whoops - I stand corrected

Maybe it was his Chinese cousin you were referring to Happy?

That will teach me to type at 0300

How relevant is Bruce Catton in 2013?

He was a good writer, but he wrote in the 1950s-1960s. He certainly made a significant contribution for his time, but I feel like his work has mostly been surpassed by more recent authors.

I disagree. I think Catton does an excellent job of presenting some broad strokes about the war. Read him and Foote first, then branch out.

I think his books give you a good general feel for the subject but you are right Josh, the new authors and publishers are today producing some great and very detailed combat histories.

A good example of that is this recent book on Antietam - 800 pages and its only the first volume of two books covering this battle:

by D. Scott Hartwig

However if you want an easy to read and general overview of the Civil War Catton, like Foote, are still relevant.

Maybe Catton is a better starting point. He's who I started with and I am still reading him. He made the Civil War come alive for me. Most particularly, his Reflections on the Civil War.

I also think Catton (I spelled it right this time :)) is a very good starting point.

Since I started this thread a few years ago, it's time I jumped back in. I appreciate the responses very much.

Greg's list is a good starting point for sure.

"Shelby Foote - entire war
James McPherson - entire war
William C. Davis - battles of 1861 and 1862 in Eastern theater
Stephen Sears - battles of 1862-1863 in Eastern Theater
Peter Cozzens - battles of 1862-1863 in Eastern Theater
Bearrs - Vicksburg campaign
Gordon Rhea - battles of 1864 in Eastern Theater
Noah Trudeau

I have read the entire Foote (awesome), McPherson, and some or all of Sears, Rhea, and Trudeau. Also have read Larry Daniel on Shiloh and some Winston Groom too. I definitely have had the Cozzens books on my radar screen for a while.

I just read the Shaara novelization of Shiloh and thought it was a good read.

Any recommendations for a good book on the Shenandoah campaigns? I will check Greg's bookshelf!

Josh wrote: "The Civil War is my favorite topic of military history but I read about pretty much all parts of the war, not just a specific campaign/battle. That sounds more like something for a history website..."

Not sure you understood my original request. I specifically asked for BOOKS about specific campaigns and battles. Once you've read the general histories, I would think you'd want a deeper dive into topics that interest you more than others.

Winston Groom's books are pretty good introductions to the various battles. They are meant for the general reader and not Civil War buffs, but are well written and in some ways read like novels

happy wrote: "Winston Groom's books are pretty good introductions to the various battles. They are meant for the general reader and not Civil War buffs, but are well written and in some ways read like novels

[..."

I think there is a middle ground where many of us reside, unless you think a "Civil War buff" has to read 800-page x2 histories of Antietam. LOL

That's true.

A couple of other I've just finished are about the Naval War. Both are fairly short, but good reads

James McPherson's

and Craig Symond's

They are good companion books. Each author takes a slightly different take on the naval war.

Bob wrote: "Since I started this thread a few years ago, it's time I jumped back in. I appreciate the responses very much.

Greg's list is a good starting point for sure.

"Shelby Foote - entire war
James McPh..."

I ahave been enjoying Stephen Sears' Chancellorsville.

These days you can read older books about the Civil War written by the participants, some published during the War and available only to researchers in a few libraries today. These books are available for free in ebook formats like Kindle from the Gutenburg Project (http://www.gutenberg.org/). Often they include information the famous authors like Cannon and Foote had no access to.

I'm reading Mosby's memoirs now (I've also read Grant's, Sherman's, Sheridan's, and one of Lee's sons (boring), Jefferson Davis' excellent Rise and Fall of the Confederate States, and many others) and for example he includes detailed evidence refuting the still common claim that JEB Stuart did anything wrong in not being available for Lee at Gettysburg.