Best Civil War Appomattox History

Foote's comprehensive history of the Civil War includes three compelling volumes: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Fredericksburg to Meridian, and Red River to Appomattox. "Anyone who wants to relive the Civil War, as thousands of Americans apparently do, will go through this volume with pleasure.... Years from now, Foote's monumental narrative most likely will continue to be read and remembered as a classic of its kind." "I have never read a better, more vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides. “Here, for a certainty, is one of the great historical narratives of our century, a unique and brilliant achievement, one that must be firmly placed in the ranks of the masters.”—Van Allen Bradley, Chicago Daily News “A stunning book full of color, life, character and a new atmosphere of the Civil War, and at the same time a narrative of unflagging power. Years from now, Foote’s monumental narrative most likely will continue to be read and remembered as a classic of its kind.”— New York Herald Tribune Book Review “To read this great narrative is to love the nation—to love it through the living knowledge of its mortal division. Whitman, who ultimately knew and loved the bravery and frailty of the soldiers, observed that the real Civil War would never be written and perhaps should not be.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is extremely rare to find a book so compelling you can't wait to get back to it and I spite of knowing the ending the tears for all concerned won't stop flowing."
"Shelby Foote is a great story teller and does an excellent job of bring the civil war to life."
"Each time I read the trilogy I came away with a greater appreciation of the literary genius of Shelby Foote."
"Very detailed and informative!"
"Son was overjoyed to receive book 3."
"Devil's in the details, and this compilation has so much detail your brain will explode with historical references."
"Mr. Foote has been able to capture like noone else I have ever read, the tedium and the terror; the honor and the bravery; the reason and the reluctance; the endlessness and the necessity of our civil war."

Written in the tradition of the great historian-artists—Gibbon, Prescott, Napier, Freeman—it stands alongside the work of the best of them.” —The New Republic “The most written-about war in history has, with this completion of Shelby Foote’s trilogy, been given the epic treatment it deserves.” —Providence Journal. "I have never read a better, more vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides. Not by accident...but for cathartic effect is so much space given to the war's unwinding, it's final shudders and convulsions.... To read this chronicle is an awesome and moving experience.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is extremely rare to find a book so compelling you can't wait to get back to it and I spite of knowing the ending the tears for all concerned won't stop flowing."
"Shelby Foote is a great story teller and does an excellent job of bring the civil war to life."
"Each time I read the trilogy I came away with a greater appreciation of the literary genius of Shelby Foote."
"Very detailed and informative!"
"Son was overjoyed to receive book 3."
"Devil's in the details, and this compilation has so much detail your brain will explode with historical references."
"Mr. Foote has been able to capture like noone else I have ever read, the tedium and the terror; the honor and the bravery; the reason and the reluctance; the endlessness and the necessity of our civil war."

Written in the tradition of the great historian-artists—Gibbon, Prescott, Napier, Freeman—it stands alongside the work of the best of them.” —The New Republic “The most written-about war in history has, with this completion of Shelby Foote’s trilogy, been given the epic treatment it deserves.” —Providence Journal. —Walker Percy. "I have never read a better, more vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides. Not by accident...but for cathartic effect is so much space given to the war's unwinding, it's final shudders and convulsions.... To read this chronicle is an awesome and moving experience. "I have never read a better, more vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is extremely rare to find a book so compelling you can't wait to get back to it and I spite of knowing the ending the tears for all concerned won't stop flowing."
"Shelby Foote is a great story teller and does an excellent job of bring the civil war to life."
"Each time I read the trilogy I came away with a greater appreciation of the literary genius of Shelby Foote."
"Very detailed and informative!"
"Son was overjoyed to receive book 3."
"Devil's in the details, and this compilation has so much detail your brain will explode with historical references."
"Mr. Foote has been able to capture like noone else I have ever read, the tedium and the terror; the honor and the bravery; the reason and the reluctance; the endlessness and the necessity of our civil war."
Best Civil War Campaigns & Battlefields History

Foote's comprehensive history of the Civil War includes three compelling volumes: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Fredericksburg to Meridian, and Red River to Appomattox. "Anyone who wants to relive the Civil War, as thousands of Americans apparently do, will go through this volume with pleasure.... Years from now, Foote's monumental narrative most likely will continue to be read and remembered as a classic of its kind." "I have never read a better, more vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides. “Here, for a certainty, is one of the great historical narratives of our century, a unique and brilliant achievement, one that must be firmly placed in the ranks of the masters.”—Van Allen Bradley, Chicago Daily News “A stunning book full of color, life, character and a new atmosphere of the Civil War, and at the same time a narrative of unflagging power. Years from now, Foote’s monumental narrative most likely will continue to be read and remembered as a classic of its kind.”— New York Herald Tribune Book Review “To read this great narrative is to love the nation—to love it through the living knowledge of its mortal division. Whitman, who ultimately knew and loved the bravery and frailty of the soldiers, observed that the real Civil War would never be written and perhaps should not be.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is extremely rare to find a book so compelling you can't wait to get back to it and I spite of knowing the ending the tears for all concerned won't stop flowing."
"Shelby Foote is a great story teller and does an excellent job of bring the civil war to life."
"Each time I read the trilogy I came away with a greater appreciation of the literary genius of Shelby Foote."
"Very detailed and informative!"
"Son was overjoyed to receive book 3."
"Devil's in the details, and this compilation has so much detail your brain will explode with historical references."
"Mr. Foote has been able to capture like noone else I have ever read, the tedium and the terror; the honor and the bravery; the reason and the reluctance; the endlessness and the necessity of our civil war."
Best History eBooks of the U.S. Confederacy

His business ventures had ended dismally, and despite distinguished service in the Mexican War he ended up resigning from the army in disgrace amid recurring accusations of drunkenness. More important, he sought freedom and justice for black Americans, working to crush the Ku Klux Klan and earning the admiration of Frederick Douglass, who called him “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race.” After his presidency, he was again brought low by a dashing young swindler on Wall Street, only to resuscitate his image by working with Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which are recognized as a masterpiece of the genre. “This is a good time for Ron Chernow’s fine biography of Ulysses S. Grant to appear… As history, it is remarkable, full of fascinating details sure to make it interesting both to those with the most cursory knowledge of Grant’s life and to those who have read his memoirs or any of several previous biographies… For all its scholarly and literary strengths, this book’s greatest service is to remind us of Grant’s significant achievements at the end of the war and after, which have too long been overlooked and are too important today to be left in the dark… As Americans continue the struggle to defend justice and equality in our tumultuous and divisive era, we need to know what Grant did when our country’s very existence hung in the balance. Just as he did with George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, Chernow brings Ulysses S. Grant to life. Grant now lands in the middle, thanks to his extraordinarily progressive work on race relations….Ron Chernow’s 1,100-page biography may crown Grant’s restoration….Mr. Chernow argues persuasively that Grant has been badly misunderstood.”— The Economist “Chernow writes definitive biography of Ulysses S. Grant… [An] essential read… restores Grant to the pantheon of great Americans.”— Newsday “A landmark work….Chernow impressively examines Grant’s sensitivities and complexities and helps us to better understand an underappreciated man and underrated president who served his country extraordinarily well…. “Full of personal and professional insights into a president and military leader that readers will find simultaneously flawed, relatable, and inspiring.” — Money Magazine “Reading Ron Chernow's new biography, a truly mammoth examination of the life of Ulysses S. Grant, one is struck by the humanity - both the pitiful frailty and the incredible strength - of its subject.”— Philadelphia Inquirer. “Masterful and often poignant .… Chernow's gracefully written biography, which promises to be the definitive work on Grant for years to come, is fully equal to the man's remarkable story.”— Minneapolis Star Tribune “Reading this compelling book, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll continue to define Grant by these scandals rather than all he accomplished in winning the war and doing his best to make peace, on inclusive terms that would be fair to all.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Chernow’s biography is replete with fascinating details and insightful political analysis, a combination that brings Grant and his time to life….
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Chernow does away with rumor, gossip, mystery, and myth to give us Grant the boy, the youth, the young lieutenant, the general, the president, the seer, and finally the greatest American memoir writer of the 19th Century."
"Chernow reminds us of the personal connections of the generals of both the North and South- Grant attended West Point and fought in the Mexican War alongside William T. Sherman, Robert E Lee, and a veritable who's who of later Civil War leaders. While Lincoln is remembered in American history as the President who ended slavery, readers of Grant will see that President U.S. Grant should be remembered as a tireless proponent of civil rights and militant enemy of the Ku Klux Klan. Chernow doesn't turn away from Grant's failures in civilian life: his poverty before rejoining the army for the Civil War, his constant struggle with alcoholism, or Grant's repeated mistakes in trusting the wrong people in matters of finance- and occasionally in government."
"I have always been a history buff, having read most of Mr Chernow’s previous books and many more, but this book changed my mind on a number of issues and convinced me that I had not given Mr Grant the acclaim he is due. The appropriate analogy, I believe,is that if Mr Lincoln was the engineer driving the ship of state during the war, Mr Grant was certainly the train plugging through and getting the work done."
Best Civil War Antietam History

For the sesquicentennial of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign, D. Scott Hartwig delivers a riveting first installment of a two-volume study of the campaign and climactic battle. "The first volume of this two volume set is so very well written and all-inclusive on the detailed facts of this Maryland Campaign that it looks like this two volume set just might be the very best ever written on this campaign and battle." (Harry S. Laver Civil War Book Review ). "By far the best work done on the Maryland Campaign, To Antietam Creek will set the standard for many, many years to come." (Thomas G. Clemens, Save Historic Antietam Foundation). "A new and monumental study of the origins and initiation of the Maryland Campaign of 1862... To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is a tour de force which will stand as the preeminent and final word on the subject... A must read for any serious Civil War student interested in the crucial events leading up to the Battle of Antietam.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I knew from day one that I wanted to write a review of this book. But I think my experience as a long time Antietam Battlefield volunteer and guide who has walked the battlefields of the Maryland Campaign, give me a different and useful perspective from the usual rank and file book reviewer. Like this book, I attempt to interpret the Maryland Campaign and Battle of Antietam objectively and factually. But the book's completeness, numerous insights, deep analysis and great stories will add a new richness and depth to my tours and programs that I would not otherwise have had I not read the book. I can now say unequivocally that this is the best book I have ever read on the Maryland Campaign. And I have read many books. And we learn that there were several very good Union cavalry regiments that fought well in the Campaign and they are not the ones who fought their way out of Harpers Ferry. You will miss out if you skip them. To some who would dismiss this book as just a story of the events up to Antietam, I would answer that this book is a necessarily foundation to understanding the tactical battle that Hartwig will treat us to when the second volume comes out. If you want to learn more about the Maryland Campaign than you can from any other book, you must move this one to the top of your reading list. If you have hesitated to get this book because of its massiveness, get over it and buy the book. From the first to the last, To Antietam Creek will reward you with the best-told story of the Maryland Campaign ever produced."
"To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862, D. Scott Hartwig, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012, 8 black and white images, 17 maps, 3 appendices, bibliographic notes, essay on notes, index, 794pp., $49.96. Both literally and figuratively, all other treatments of The Antietam Campaign may well stand in the shadow of Scott Hartwig's To Antietam Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862. Tom Clemens of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation states "By far the best work done on the Maryland Campaign ."
"Although I do not count myself as a fan of George McClellan, I do submit that it is time to take a closer look at his tenure with the Army of the Potomac and, if merited, challenge the conventional wisdom that surrounds and informs the historical view of his generalship. However, Hartwig is not afraid to level criticism when it is due and McClellan (often), along with Burnside, Franklin, Hooker, Lee, Miles and others are rightly taken to task when the occasion warrants it. Furthermore, Hartwig led me to truly appreciate the outstanding performance of Lafayette McLaws in relation to Harper's Ferry and to grasp the extent that William Franklin's loss of moral courage helped to seal the garrison's doom. Finally, Hartwig's writing with regard to the eve of battle is a thing of beauty--it compares favorably to Bruce Catton's work in Mr. Lincoln's Army (to me thre is no higher praise) and paints a picture of a night of foreboding before that which was arguably the worst day in American history."
Best Civil War Gettysburg History

James M. McPherson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom , and arguably the finest Civil War historian in the world, walks readers through the Gettysburg battlefield -- the site of the most consequential battle of the Civil War. Hugh McAloon, formerly at Prince William County Public Library, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book gives both the guide and also the battle."
"very well thought out and written with great historical value."
"A quick and accessible read about the Battle of Gettysburg."
"McPherson is a great historian."
"So simple, yes so eloquent."
"Possible rival candidates are Lexington and Concord, Yorktown, or Omaha Beach -- but more Americans visit Gettysburg each year than any of these other battlefields, probably more than all of them combined. In addition to providing an overview of the first three days in July 1863, McPherson sprinkles in interesting anecdotes concerning the Battle itself as well as various efforts to commemorate aspects of it. One example: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is now (rightfully) famous for his leadership of the 20th Maine in holding the left flank of the Union line at Little Round Top the night of July 2nd. Another example: Pickett's Charge, a frontal assault on the entrenched and formidable Union line, is popularly regarded (especially in the South) as one of the most valiant events in military history. For example, in the quoted sentence, the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and the stone wall could be designated "A" and "B" in parentheses, and the reader could easily locate them on the map by the corresponding letters "A" and "B"."
Best Civil War Bull Run History

"This comprehensively researched, well-written book represents the definitive account of Robert E. Lee’s triumph over Union leader John Pope in the summer of 1862. . Lee's strategic skills, and the capabilities of his principal subordinates James Longstreet and Stonewall Jackson, brought the Confederates onto the field of Second Manassas at the right places and times against a Union army that knew how to fight, but not yet how to win.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I simply cannot imagine any better books written on either First Manassas or Second Manassas."
"As a native Virginian, I am enamored with the Civil War."
"It had one strange omission that I almost never see in military history books: John Hennessy never gives us the 'big numbers'!"
"Pompous (bragged about his military "exploits" in the West), foul-mouthed (used the Lord's name in vain when referring to McDowell), and impatient (Phil Kearney, an able Northern general, tired of Pope's orders for impetuous and fruitless marches that only served to tire the troops). Hennessy is fair with leaders, both North and South and his narrative is excellent - while, he is obviously a learned man with a deep knowlege of the battle, the author does not bore the reader with tedious details and dry narrative."
"An informative and detailed analysis that never loses focus on the subject matter and brings to life the campaign that brought Robert E. Lee to the beginning of his military career with the Army of Northern Virginia."
"Return to Bull Run is not only the book most often referenced by the Rangers and Volunteers at the battlefield, but also one of the most thorough, readable, and entertaining battle studies I've experienced."
"I enjoyed the detail along with the coverage of the whole of the campaign."
"A great book by a superb historian and storyteller."
Best Civil War Fredericksburg History

A 3-volume, softcover set of books by Shelby Foote dealing with the Civil War.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It is extremely rare to find a book so compelling you can't wait to get back to it and I spite of knowing the ending the tears for all concerned won't stop flowing."
"I just only received this box set a few days ago, so I haven't had a lot of time to read any of it extensively."
"This background will prove invaluable when you read other shorter books or books on narrower topics, like individual battles or persons. This is a good book for the casual reader or second book after (or maybe before) Foote."
"Each time I read the trilogy I came away with a greater appreciation of the literary genius of Shelby Foote."
"Very detailed and informative!"
"Son was overjoyed to receive book 3."
"A classic always wanted to purchase the 3 book set looking forward to reading this winter."