Essential Reading/Viewing

[vonSchnitter]

Salute Chaps !

I am an ACW "ignoramus". Since I am European, it may be excusable
Blame it on the school curriculum across the big lake. We miss out on more than one essential issue ...

Since somebody on this board suggested S. Foote, Civil War, I ordered the thing and I managed the first 150 pages by now. I am very grateful to whoever suggested this. A great read.

Since I suppose there are more readers of this board than me in the same situation, both short of advice or hints and eager to learn, let me file my plead with the ACW pros to share your knowledge with underlings like me, with regard to:

Movies/DVDs
Internet Links
And books

Thank you !

Cheers

[Great_Ajax]

I've been meaning to pick up "Battle Cry Freedom" which I hear is pretty good. Also, the DVD Collection on the Civil War by PBS is top notch. I have the entire Time-Life Civil War collection that I have had for ten years and still have not read. Too many books.

Trey

[Jonathan Palfrey]

Grant's memoirs are on line here: http://www.bartleby.com/1011/

For a Confederate view, I recommend Edward Alexander Porter's Fighting for the Confederacy. His Military Memoirs of a Confederate is a cleaned-up version of the same text, but I think the original is more interesting for the general reader, as it has more anecdotes.

P.S. I'm another European.

[Jonathan Palfrey]

Yes, I also have James M. McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, which is good.

[vonSchnitter]

Thx Gentlemen !

I am thankful for your responses. Before the powers that may be take charge, let me be allowed to be the "accountand" of this collection of knowledge - consolidating yours posts under headlines for easy access for others.

Section A: Internet
Heading 1:Top level internet sites for War Gamers:

The Wargamer: http://www.wargamer.com/Default.asp
A rather good and useful wargamer site these days. Even though a couple things start missing.
Very little in the articles of history or genuine content. Used to be different.

Heading 2: Top level War/History sites:

The War Times Journal: http://www.wtj.com/index_flash.htm
A very good site. Anything military from the early ages till present. Quite a lot of genuine content and a rather useful links section. Links are not maintained very well.


Heading 3: Contemporary reading on the web:

a) Top Level Commanders and Politicians
ULYSSES S. GRANT: PERSONAL MEMOIRS (in part); http://www.wtj.com/archives/grant/
complete: http://www.bartleby.com/1011/ (thx to Jonathan Palfrey)
JOHN BELL HOOD: ADVANCE AND RETREAT (in part); http://www.wtj.com/archives/hood/
James Longstreet: FROM MANASSAS TO APPOMATTOX (in part); http://www.wtj.com/archives/longstreet/
John B. Gordon: REMINISCENCES OF THE CIVIL WAR (in part); http://www.wtj.com/archives/gordon/
Philip Henry Sheridan: PERSONAL MEMOIRES (complete - Project Gutenberg): http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5854
Abraham Lincoln: Selection of writings (Collection - Project Gutenberg - links): http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3253

b) Official Records

Official navy records of the American Civil War (in part): http://www.wtj.com/archives/acwnavies/

c) Personal recollections:

d) Theory of War - Practical Guides (of the time)

e) Other Contemporary Writings or older works on the ACW

F. Colburn Adams, Siege of Washington (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/4668
Louisa May Alcott, Hospital Sketches (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3837
Joseph A. Altsheler, The Scouts of Stonewall // The Story of the Great Valley Campaign (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6094
Joseph A. Altsheler, The Star of Gettysburg // A Story of Southern High Tide (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3811
Ambrose Bierce, AN OCCURRENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/375
Henry M. Cist, The Army of the Cumberland (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3686
G.A. Henty, With Lee in Virginia (complete - Project Gutenberg), http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2805
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Army Life in a Black Regiment (complete - Project Gutenberg); http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6764


To be Contiued

Cheers

[Johnus]

For the history of the entire civil war "The Civil War A Narrative" by Shelby Foote can't be beat. Bruce Catton is great. There are also many nice studies of single campaigns and battles. There are also fine one-volume general histories of the war.

But for a fine history in the grand old story-telling tradition, Shelby Foote is without equal. It runs for thousands of pages, yet you wish it was twice as long. Narrative history at its best. I think I'm on my 3rd (possibly 4th) reading.

Foote is deceased, but you can see him in spots in Ken Burns' "Civil War."

[Alan_Bernardo]

Brent Nosworthy's The Bloody Crucible of Courage is excellent.

Alanb

[Ironclad]

Bruce Catton and Shelby Foote's trilogies on the Civil War are both excellent reads. The latter is far more detailed and covers the military side in much greater depth. In his opening volume Catton gives an evocative account of why the conflict happened and of the people and politics involved.

Highly recommended also is Albert Castel's superb study "Decision in the West; the Atlanta campaign of 1864."

An enjoyable but radical look at Confederate leadership and strategy is Steven Woodworth's "Jefferson Davis and his Generals; The failure of Confederate Command in the West".

[captskillet]

For an excellent account of the Army of Northern Virginia during the War you got to read "Lee's Lieutenants : A Study in Command" by Douglas Freeman..........it was written in the 30's but is still considered a standard on the ANV's exploits from Bull Run and Joe Johnston (or what became the ANV) thru Appomattox. It even includes a good account of Stonewalls Valley Campaign. Another good read would be "First With the Most" by Robert Selph Henry about my man Nathan Bedford Forrest (who else [;)])!

[Warfare1]

For DvDs I highly recommend:

1) Gettysburg http://tinyurl.com/ya9uoe

2) Gods and Generals http://tinyurl.com/y9tnec

3) Glory http://tinyurl.com/yfslsr

4) PBS Ken Burn's Civil War http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: Alan_Bernardo

Brent Nosworthy's The Bloody Crucible of Courage is excellent.

Alanb

Yes! As I've written elsewhere, this was one of our primary sources in putting FOF together. Lots of rules in detailed battle come straight from stuff we read in there.

[Crimguy]

I put my vote in for Battle Cry of Freedom for what I think is the best one-volume account.  Gets into the battles, the politics, and the economics of the war. 

I am into Vol. 1 of Foote's Civil War.  He is a great story-teller, and I'm forced to wonder where he got all of his material from - there are no footnotes in my copy.

For video, I think Gettysberg and Gods and Generals are pretty hokey.  Glory is flat, but a good movie nonetheless.  I'll take Ken Burn's Civil War over all of the movies. 

And, of course, the Red Badge of Courage is a classic read.

[marecone]

Very good idea for thread [&o]. For all us Europeans and other non Americans, could you provide more links for reading and such.
This is my favorite link. About military history. Ofcourse you will find ACW there as well.
Enjoy

http://www.cc.gatech.edu/fac/Thomas.Pilsch/history.html

[Drex]

Well I am an American and I only have Shelby Foote's Narrative which is outstanding for a general view of the war. But I'm sure the others as I do, will want more specific reading matter. What about a book of battle maps? This would be essential. What is available? What about reads on individual battles? I saw the name of Sears on several books about battles. Is Sears any good?

[Director]

"The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War", Major George B Davis, Leslie J Perry and Joseph W Kirkley.
 
Includes ordinance survey maps of everything south of the Mason Dixon and west through Texas as well as detailed maps of battlefields and campaigns. interestingly, numerous maps of the same site from different sources are often put side-by-side, allowing you to see what was there and what the commanders thought was there, which is not the same thing.
 
It is a gargantuan book, easily two feet tall and hundreds of pages thick. It's occasionally on sale for as little as $30 (STEAL!) and is absolutely invaluable.

[Drex]

Not exactly a coffee table book is it. I wonder if Amazon has it.

[Crimguy]

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookse ... 0440&itm=6

[Drex]

Thanks Crimguy. I have a B&N in Chico and hopefully its in stock.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Crimguy

I put my vote in for Battle Cry of Freedom for what I think is the best one-volume account.

Agreed, although as a primer in the purely military history I would suggest Hattaway's Shades of Blue and Grey , not least because it has excellent reading lists on each topic.

For video, I think Gettysberg and Gods and Generals are pretty hokey.  Glory is flat, but a good movie nonetheless.  I'll take Ken Burn's Civil War over all of the movies. 

And, of course, the Red Badge of Courage is a classic read.

All three movies are very good, albeit in different ways. Quite how Glory is 'flat', I'm not sure. Gods and Generals is the weakest IMHO, despite a strong performance from Robert Duvall and a superb one from Stephen Lang as Jackson (he was just as good in Gettysburg, as Pickett). It just tries to cover too much ground, while managing to make some of the battle scenes rather longer than was really necessary.

I'd add the book of the film and film of the book, respectively. Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels (on which the Gettysburg movie was based) is a first class docu-novel, while the movie version of The Red Badge of Courage is brilliant if you can get your hands on it. It's virtually a word-for-word adaption (RBoC being a very short book) and definitely Audie Murphy's finest hour IMHO. They couldn't have picked anyone better, you can tell he both fully understands the character while recognising a certain irony that it's him (Murphy) who is playing him.

[Airborne82nd]

ORIGINAL: Drex

What about a book of battle maps? This would be essential. What is available? What about reads on individual battles? I saw the name of Sears on several books about battles. Is Sears any good?

Sears is quite good. My favorite probably. I've read most of his and highly recommend "A Landscape Turned Red" (Antietam), "To the Gates of Richmond" (Seven Days) and "Chancellorsville". Pretty of detailed battle maps. Excellent, narrative text. His books read like a novel (just started Footes first volume and I see similarities).

For indepth studies of individual campaigns, you can't go wrong here.