I have a Europeon friend and he has a significant interest in the American Civil War. He asked me what would be some good books about it. Unfortionary, I couldn’t think of any(I’ve read quite a bit about the war, but can’t for the life of me remember titles or authors).
Any suggestions, particulary for someone who probably isn’t familiar with the general political atmosphere leading up to the war.
There are a ton of good books on the topic. But for a concise overview on the war and events leading up to it for someone unfamiliar with the period, you might suggest A House Divided: Sectionalism and Civil War, 1848-1865 by Richard H. Sewell ( 1988, John Hopkins University Press ). At just a little over 200 pgs., it is a decent quick introduction.
After that, if he is interested in reading more about the war itself, he can move on to more detailed volumes on the war itself by authors like Bruce Catton and Shelby Foote.
“Confederates in the Attic” by Tony Horwitz is a must read! Here’s a autobiographical account from a freelance writer, IIRC, who hits the re-enactment trail introducing the reader to BOTH an historical and modern-day look at the Civil War. It is fast reading; you won’t be able to put this book down! And, you’ll smile along with the author as he follows the Civil War trail, so to speak, from start to finish: North, South, and Border states! Very cool reading!
I should add: I ain’t a Civil War buff, but my friends, including a re-enactor*, loved this book!
*He doesn’t mind this term, but some prefer to be called ____ ? Shoot, I forget the often-prefered, “politically correct (PC)” term for these enthusiasts!
As noted previously, any book by Bruce Catton. This Hallowed Ground relates the history of the Civil War from the Union viewpoint.
Almost universally acknowleged as the best one volume history of the Civil War is Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States, 6),
by James M. McPherson.
It starts with 250 pages before Lincoln is elected so it covers the pre-war climate very well.
Not nonfiction history, but the short stories by (Civil War veteran) Ambrose Bierce are indespensible when it comes to getting a feel for the time.
As mentioned iin several places above anything by Bruce Catton. What a fine, mesmerizing writer.
As mentioned by several others before me, anything by Bruce Catton. What a fine, mesmerizing writer.
Strictly speaking this is not a non-fiction work, but The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is the finest book about Gettysburg that I have read.
The best account of the war is Shelby Foote’s The Civil War: A Narrative. It was originally in three volumes (there’s been a multiple volume reissue a year or so ago), and is brilliantly written and comprehensive. The only drawback is the length, but you won’t be bored for a moment.
I really enjoyed “A Short History of the Civil War” by James L. Stokesbury. It’s very well written and easy to follow. The author has a real sympathy for the topic and the people who went through it, as shown by the final paragraph of the book:
Two good ones are *Lincoln, the South and Slavery * and Civil War Soldiers I don’t remember who wrote the first one, but the second is Reid Mitchell. It has several good first person accounts.