Recommend reading?

[Silverdog]

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I don’t know much about the American civil war. So I’m looking for any book’s that would help me gain a better understanding and help build a better picture of the war.

Are there book(s) that anyone here can recommend as a must read? Apologies if I’ve opened a can of worms…..

[BossGnome]

Hi,

I didnt know much about the ACW before starting to play this game either. My beginner introduction to the periods history was the Ken Burns documentary, simply titled "Civil War". You can buy it online (pretty expensive - the thing is like 9 hours long), but you can also probably find it for free somewhere. If you like military history, then Shelby Foote wrote a pretty decent basic narrative of the war, but its a trilogy, and all 3 are bricks.

Like I said, Im a newcomer to ACW history, so thats all I know. They were pretty good starting points for me though.

[WallysWorld]

Foote is excellent!

I also highly recommend James M. McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom", an excellent one volume history of the conflict. I've read through it about 5 times. I usually open it after watching a Civil War movie.

[nelmsm1]

I'd echo those recommendations, McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom and Shelby Foote's trilogy.

[Silverdog]

Thanks for the recommendations! Reading these hefty tomes will keep me quiet for a while.

[Treefrog]

The old illustrated American Heritage book is a quick read (what, maybe 150 pages with lots of illustrations, maps and photos) to get an overall grasp.

For a quick, more technical take on the subject on the strictly military side, try the West Point Atlas series that covers the Civil War. Lots of maps with pointy arrows and nato symbols accompanied by very spare prose.

Shelby Foote is a great writer and covers the political and social front too, although some find it troubling that he doesn't footnote. However, you may lose interest in either the game or the book long before you read all three volumes.

[GShock]

Second what all others said. Battle Cry is definitely a must where the military part of the war appears secondary in view of political and economical explanations. I liked it better than Foote's but i also enjoyed the 3 tomes Foote did. Both good readings.

[kfmiller41]

I have read this and found it one of the best books about a specific battle I have ever read:Landscape Turned Red The Battle of Antietem by Stephen W Sears.
 
Also just FYI I just put up on E-Bay the 3 Volumes of Shelby Footes Civil War, because I have the Audiobook versions, my eye's are not so good anymore. I also have many Civil war books I will be putting up for auction, if you want you can PM me and I will be happy to tell you what i have.
 

[Nova538]

Folks,
 
I'd add Bruce Cattons' Civil War history series, although its four or five books.  It's the one most of us of a certain age started out reading.  Alan Nevins' " The War for the Union" series is good also,if you want to get an in depth backround.  Nevins is more a social history than a military history though.  Bern Andersons' " By Sea and River; the naval history of the Civil War" can be pretty helpfull and a good read.  If you can find it, the American Heritage history is short and filled with good pictures and maps, as mentioned above.  I believe the Park Service has some stuff on line dealing with some of the battlefields it takes care of.
 
Nova538
 

[Jutland13]

I too would recommend the Shelby Foote Trilogy and the Bruce Catton Triliogy. Additionally, Catton's book "A Stillness At Appomatox" is fantastic. Of course there are countless books, but these are great overviews, with plenty of detail and perspective.

[Doc o War]

Peter Cozzens four books on the History of the Army of the Tennessee battles- Iuka-Cornith( Darkest Days of the War) /Stones River(No Better Place To Die) /Chickamauga( This Terrible Sound) and Chattanooga( The Shipwreck of their Hopes) Are another of my favorite sets- being written in the last 16 years with good research - generally available,  very well written. Packed with detail- good maps- and pretty much tells the Story of the War in the Center.
 
Agree with above writters- Catton, Foote, Sears, McPherson, - To add also Furgurson's "Chancellorsville 1863", and Martins "Gettysburg July 1" & well- dozens of individual battle books, 
  Also if you want to understand the life of the average soldiers, try Bell Irvin Wiley's "The Life of Billy Yank" and also "The Life of Johney Reb" They are classics.
   Treefrog was right- for basic overall history- with great maps-  (I loved the picture maps with the lines of soldiers on them) American Heritage's History of the Civil War is pretty complete, and it is found in most libraries. - and they came out with a new updated version- still has the old maps- with plenty of new modern graphics. Called fittingly- The New American Heritage History of the Civil War- snappy title.
 

[Carligula]

ORIGINAL: Jutland13

I too would recommend the Shelby Foote Trilogy and the Bruce Catton Triliogy. Additionally, Catton's book "A Stillness At Appomatox" is fantastic. Of course there are countless books, but these are great overviews, with plenty of detail and perspective.

A Stillness At Appomattox is itself part of a trilogy on the Army of the Potomac (Mr. Lincoln's Army and Glory Road are the first two) and all three are great. The nice thing about the Catton books is you can generally pick them up very cheaply these days, and I still think his way with words beats any other ACW historian.

BTW I just got the game a week or so ago, and I think I played about 30 hours this weekend. This really is the game I've been waiting for for a long, long time. Bravo to all those involved.

[Treefrog]

I agree with Doc O War that Wiley's books on Johnny Reb and Billy Yank are very informative to understand the life and experience of a low private.

When I was young I read about battles, then later about campaigns.

Now I tend to read about individual soldiers. Sam Watkins' "Co. Aytch" is the classic autobiography of a CSA infantry private. For the Yank view, Elisha Hunt Rhodes rose from private to colonel of his Rhode Island regiment and tells quite a tale. There is also an excellent book on all infantry written by a Viet Nam vet and from the artillery, an excellent illustrate autiobiography that explains life in that service (titles escapes me; email privately if interested as they are on the shelf at home).

[bush]

For something a little different than the usual, try Charles Bonesteel's How Lee Lost the Civil War. Very convincing argument that Lee allowed his dual obsessions (the offensive, and decisive results can only come in the East) to fashion a losing strategy for the South.

[Sieben_slith]

For the Grant vs. Lee campaign of 1864, try Gordon C. Rhea's excellent series (The Battle of the Wilderness, The Battles for Spotsylvania, To the North Anna River, Cold Harbor). Foote's trilogy is excellent (I've read it twice, all 1200+ pages), as is Catton's. The latter does a much better job on the campaign for New Orleans, which Foote neglected but which you, as a player of this game, must not. Phanz's books on Gettysburg, etc. I have a good library of civil war literature, please post back if you have questions.

The previous poster is referring, I think, to Edward Bonekemper's "How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War". I've not read it, but it's hard to see how Lee lost the war when he wasn't the Commander in Chief. One can argue that if he had not been in command during what we now call The Seven Days, the war would have been over in 1862. By the way, I'm southern born and bred, but I'm glad "we" lost. I only wish we hadn't fought at all.

[bush]

Elfriend,

You are correct on the author. Charles Bonesteel, I believe, was a WW2-era US general. I don't know how I got those confused. However, you should give it a read.

[mhlarsen]

I just got Bruce Catton's 'A Stillness at Appomattox'. And then I discover this is actually part of a trilogy. Are the other two books just as good?

Thanks
Michael

[Crimguy]

For one-volumes, I'd start with McPhearson. I also like Douglas Southall Freeman's "Lee's Lieutenants" (abridged by Sears). I am looking to get a copy of Freeman's series on Lee (all 4 volumes) but it's hard to come by at a decent price.

My favorite is Foote. After seeing him in Ken Burns' documentary, how can you not like the guy?

[Berkut]

I am currently reading "Team of Rivals". While not strictly a history of the war, and at times a little fawning of Lincoln, it is an amazingly interesting inside look at the political history of Lincolns rise to power, the 1860 Republican nomination and 1860 election, and a look "inside" the cabinet as it ran the war.

Strictly from the Union perspective of course, but it is really well done.

[paplan]

For a short (900 p) one volume history, you simply cannot beat "Battle cry of Freedom" by James McPherson (no relation to civil war general of the same name).

And if you're mostly interested in the conflict itself, you can probably skip the first 250 pages, which is basically setting the political/social stage at the time.