# Civil War Dopers...... what are the best books? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163 "2010-12-06T17:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163/21 "2010-12-08T04:41:24Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Grant’s autobiography was a great read. It was certainly from his point of view but you really get an understanding of the complications of waging the war. Seconded. It’s generally agreed he wrote it himself (i.e. no ghost writers, just editors) and he was a really talented writer. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163/22 "2010-12-08T05:07:34Z")
I dropped in to recommend [These Honored Dead: How The Story Of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory](http://www.amazon.com/These-Honored-Dead-Gettysburg-American/dp/0306813823/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291784110&sr=8-2-spell). It’s been a long while since I read it, and I can’t really do it justice here. But as I recall, its an account of how the stories of Gettysburg came to be written, in many cases, years after the battle. So a not too surprising amount of what everyone ‘knows’ about Gettysburg is not exactly right. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163/23 "2010-12-08T16:40:21Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > I dropped in to recommend [These Honored Dead: How The Story Of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory](http://www.amazon.com/These-Honored-Dead-Gettysburg-American/dp/0306813823/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291784110&sr=8-2-spell). It’s been a long while since I read it, and I can’t really do it justice here. But as I recall, its an account of how the stories of Gettysburg came to be written, in many cases, years after the battle. So a not too surprising amount of what everyone ‘knows’ about Gettysburg is not exactly right. Right, Gettysburg, little town in Pennsylvania where they had a big battle. President Lincoln made it famous by getting a speech there down to 200 words plus change. He said, “History will soon forget what is said here, but we will never forget what was done here.” Which according to your book, is exactly the opposite of what actually happened. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163/24 "2010-12-08T17:37:46Z")
Forgot to mention a pretty good recent bio of one of my heroes, Gen. George H. Thomas, _Master of War_ by Benson Bobrick. Or here’s a short profile from _Smithsonian_: [Catching Up With "Old Slow Trot" | History| Smithsonian Magazine](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/slowtrot.html) ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163/25 "2010-12-09T00:06:07Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > I really enjoyed reading Horace Porter’s **Campaigning with Grant** back when I was in my Civil War phase (lo about fifteen years ago, so my memory is kind of spotty otherwise). Porter was Grant’s aide de camp (and remained a personal friend long after the war) and was right up close and personal with him during the war, and the book is filled with interesting personal details about Grant and other big-name historical figures that Grant was in contact with. Thanks for the comments… I own that one but haven’t read it yet. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163/26 "2010-12-09T00:10:21Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > My husband recommends the book he is currently re-reading, “Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West,” by William L. Shea and Earl J. Hess. I read Shea’s more recent book on Prairie Grove \*Fields of Blood \*…very good! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/civil-war-dopers-what-are-the-best-books/563163.md?page=1)