Best History eBooks of American Civil War Campaigns & Battlefields
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the epic New York Times bestselling account of how Civil War general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson became a great and tragic national hero. Stonewall Jackson has long been a figure of legend and romance. "September’s most scintillating read may be a 640-page biography of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson... S.C. Gwynne’s riveting retelling of the canny Confederate whose strategies shaped the early years of the Civil War is just that good." "Spry prose and cogent insight....Showing Jackson’s exploitation of speed and deception, Gwynne’s vivid account of his Civil War run, which ended with his death in the 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville, is a riveting, cover-to-cover read for history buffs." In this crackling narrative, S.C. Gwynne gives us the bold tactics, the eccentric thinking, and the wicked genius of one of history's most brilliant—and unconventional—military minds.” (Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West and In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette ). “Powerfully told, richly detailed, but also deeply human in timeless ways, Rebel Yell unmasks Gen. Stonewall Jackson, one of American history's most enduring legends (and yet most private of men). A magnificent achievement, Rebel Yell represents a milestone in Civil War literature.” (Peter Cozzens, author of Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign ). "In Rebel Yell , Mr. Gwynne's easy, loping style wraps itself effortlessly around the particulars of Stonewall Jackson's life, from his back-of-the-mountain upbringing to the outburst of military genius in the Civil War. "In the magnificent Rebel Yell , one of the year's best biographies, writer S.C. Gwynne brings Jackson ferociously to life... His battle scenes are marvels of description and kinetic action. [He] brings a deep humanity to his portrayals of Jackson, his fellow Confederate generals and their Union adversaries... Gwynne's pages fly by, brimming with excitement and terror." "A worthy book that does much to present the general in a realistic, critical and evenhanded manner.... Gwynne writes with style... he creates vivid word pictures and descriptions that keep the reader engaged. S.C. Gwynne is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon , which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In terms of the quality of the descriptive writing, the structure and skilful use of language, and the depth Gwynne brings to the characters of Jackson and his comrades and friends, the book stands not just as an outstanding biography but as a very fine piece of literary writing. As Jackson and his force of cadets set out to war, Gwynne tells us of his pre-war life as a rather strange and awkward man, deeply religious, suffering from poor health and perhaps a degree of hypochondria. This is very much a biography of Jackson and a history of his military campaigns, rather than a history of the Civil War itself. As we follow Jackson through his campaigns, Gwynne, with the assistance of clear and well-placed maps, brings the terrain to life, vividly contrasting the beauty of the country with the brutality and horrors of the battlefields. From the beginnings of the creation of the Jackson legend in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, then on through the series of battles where he snatched victory from what should have been certain defeat, till his final stunning achievements as the right-hand man of General Robert E Lee, Gwynne shows the growing admiration and even love of his troops for this man whose total belief in the rightness of his cause and God's protection led him to take extraordinary risks. We see the other side of Jackson - the family man, grieving for the death of his first young wife and then finding happiness with his second, Anna."
"His life was far different then the picture of him in my mind before reading the book."
"However my husband loves it and sits with maps as he reads it so he can know exactly what they are talking about."
"This is a fairly easy read that has all the essential details in it--e.g., Jackson's last words, how he got his nickname, examples of his religious devotion and his warfare abilities."
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book."
"The author repeatedly describes his big feet, awkward gait, poor social skills, eccentric nature and surprising private giddiness that betrays his public persona."
"My only criticism of this book is that Mr. Gwynne can really get bogged down in the minuate of troop movement and battle plans that make a 400 page book a 600 page book, but that is only a minor issue."
"Any student of the Civil War or US military history should read this book."
This first volume of Shelby Foote's classic narrative of the Civil War opens with Jefferson Davis’s farewell to the United Senate and ends on the bloody battlefields of Antietam and Perryville, as the full, horrible scope of America’s great war becomes clear. 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. "Here, for a certainty, is one of the great historical narratives…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. "To read this great narrative is to love the nation—to love it through the living knowledge of its mortal division.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And it does an outstanding job detailing the battles and the generals and politicians who directed the strategies involved."
"I have read many good books on the American Civil War and this is one of the best."
"I really enjoyed this book."
"I have read many works on the American Civil War and this gives a detailed report of not only the battles but the personalities and politics in the background."
"I am sure enjoying this book. Shelby Foote's Civil War book gave me for the first time a good accounting of Jefferson Davis."
"Also, this was my first non-fiction work read on a kindle so accessing the maps in an easy manner was bothersome, but that's more a knock on the kindle than the work of Mr. Foote."
"Actually as described and the right book cover to match our other 2 volumes, so we were very glad!"
"Very difficult to read through this extremely detailed volume but makes an excellent reference book through the battles and their commanders."
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"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."
"These 3 volumes were incredible reads for anyone fascinated by history."
"Devil's in the details, and this compilation has so much detail your brain will explode with historical references."
"Besides, once you hear his Southern drawl, you won't be able to imagine a better voice for the conflict."
"Awesome work."
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 History eBooks of Women in the American Civil War
With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws you into the war as these daring women lived it. I hadn’t given much thought to the Civil War until one summer day in 2002, when I found myself stuck in traffic on Route 400 outside of Atlanta, idling for hours behind a pickup truck emblazoned with a bumper sticker: DON’T BLAME ME—I VOTED FOR JEFF DAVIS. As a native Philadelphian newly transplanted to the Deep South, I was struck by the idea that Civil War personalities and politics lived on, in ways both frivolous and sincere, nearly a century and a half after the last body was buried and the final sacrifice made. In Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy I tell the stories of four such women: a rebellious teenager with a dangerous temper; a Canadian expat on the run from her past; a widowed mother with nothing left to lose; and a wealthy society matron who endured death threats for years, and lost as much as she won. It is no small task for a writer to wade into the well-swum waters of the American Civil War and emerge with a book that manages to enhance the existing canon while holding the attention of casual readers and history buffs alike. “Not for nothing has Abbott been called a ‘pioneer of sizzle history.’ Here she creates a gripping page-turner that moves at a breathtaking clip through the dramatic events of the Civil War.” ( Los Angeles Times ). “Engrossing… Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy is conscientiously researched and smoothly written and structured.” ( Wall Street Journal ). “Eloquent… A riveting psychological inquiry and probing examination of the courage, incomparable patriotism, stamina, and agility of four women who repeatedly risked their lives to serve their citizenry... Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy [feels] like an operatic espionage novel, where deception, betrayal, love, and redemption are interspersed with gripping combat scenes and perilous rescues.” ( Los Angeles Review of Books ). “Compelling... Karen Abbott stitches together a patchwork narrative as complex as a pieced quilt, combining the colorful, unrelated tales of four women who fought in the Civil War as surely as Lee and Grant… [her] high achievement lies in her Augean compilation of published and archival material.” ( Washington Times ).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Even looking back on this horror one can’t say how it happened."
"First 3 chapters kept my interest and took a break from the after the 5th, I was almost through the book."
"Although especially good for women to acquaint themselves with strong women playing important roles, addition facts and the viewpoints of both Northern and Southern people are provoking."
"Very interesting and absorbing."
"Lovely, fun book intertwining the lives during the Civil War of four women - on opposite sides."
"So glad to have read this fine book!!!"
"Quality historical research; continual shifts from one character's story to another kept it interesting."
"Some of Johnston’s troops, in blue uniforms, caused some Union regiments to hold their fire making a contribution to them breaking. She has men playing ball with severed heads, cutting off noses, ears and testicles for souvenirs. She fails to admit that no respected Civil War author accepts these stories as fact. In stating them as fact, she is either a poor historian or dishonest, in either case I do not want to waste my time reading this book."
Best Historical Latin American Biographies
In Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee , Michael Korda, the New York Times bestselling biographer of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, and T. E. Lawrence, has written the first major biography of Lee in nearly twenty years, bringing to life one of America's greatest, most iconic heroes. One hundred and forty-four years after his death, Lee is still widely revered in both North and South for his tactical military brilliance and his personal qualities of courage, honor, and kindness. Korda, the former editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster and an acclaimed biographer, has no intention of knocking Lee off his pedestal in this excellent and generally laudatory biography. Korda stresses Lee’s accomplishments even before the Civil War as a brilliant, visionary engineer and an expert at military maneuvers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He was a very highly educated man , with a great family and family ties to George Washington."
"Very informative."
"Very sympathetic portrayal of Lee."
"Superbly written."
"Excellent historical review of the life of Robert E Lee."
"Great book, well written."
"Well done book based upon life of Robert E. Lee and contemporaries."
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."
Best Social Customs & Traditions
Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. The book is also about the wealthy international antiques dealer Jim Williams, who played an active role in the historic city's restoration--and would also be tried four times for the 1981 shooting death of 21-year-old Danny Handsford, his high-energy, self-destructive house helper.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I loved this book so much that I made my husband go with me to Savannah to visit the city and see the bird girl statue. John Berendt did a wonderful job in writing this book and I wish he would do another one."
"Finally read this book."
"This story held my interest in each and every character contributing their unique personality, and in the end leaving their spirit, on this place."
"I first loved the movie, then I loved the city and finally I overcame my apprehensions that after that the book would not be that great."
"What a fun, quirky group of characters set in the beautiful Savannah, Ga backdrop."
"I am glad that I read this book since people in Savannah made references to this book, However, I found a couple of characters that didn't relate much to the main story and was bored reading about them."
"The thing is it's told in such a interesting manner that you're deep into it before you realize you're learning a LOT of Savannah culture and history while being riotously entertained!"
"This book kind of draws you in with it's very unusual characters (which there are many) and the way it's written - it casts its own spell on the reader."
Best History eBooks of American Civil War Regiments
A magnificent history of the opening years of the Civil War by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Bruce Catton The first book in Bruce Catton’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Army of the Potomac Trilogy, Mr. Lincoln’s Army is a riveting history of the early years of the Civil War, when a fledgling Union Army took its stumbling first steps under the command of the controversial general George McClellan. “[Catton] has the rare gift of doing enormous research and then presenting it in what is almost a motion picture in color.” — The New York Times.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This story envelops the reader with the overall sense of the brutality of the American Civil war."
"Bruce gave a good overview of the elements of the Army of the Potomac that ended the war."
"I gave this book five stars because it is one of the best histories of the war told from the Union viewpoint."
"Good explanation of the union generals and all they chances they missed for ending the war sooner,"
"Wanted to reread this book...very poignant writing of the battles where our family's ancestors fought."
"When you stop to consider that Bruce Catton tried to just hone in on ONLY what The Army of Potomac was doing (and there were many various named armies), during the Civil War, well then Bruce also does another remarkable thing; he opens your mind to want to know more, because he brings the past to life and light, so well, that you are truly transported, and so much is revealed, and you have a whole new understanding, as to how life has evolved, and how we came to life, as we know it today. Since first I read Bruce Catton, I have read a number of other highly recommend writers, on the subject, of The Civil War, but no writer that I have ever read, writes, so clearly, and providing enough detailed historical perspective, of the right kind, to make the read truly fascinating, without making it be overly bloody, even though it's all about war."
"This book starts with the second Battle of Bull Run, then Back peddles to the Virginia Peninsula, then moves on to Antietam, ends with McClellan's dismissal."
"But, it speaks to the broad strokes of the war and the men from the north who fought it."
Best History eBooks of U.S. Abolition
Winner of the Lincoln Prize. Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Abraham Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president. On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. Here, Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles five of the key players in her book, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination and all of whom later worked together in Lincoln's cabinet. When Lincoln stepped in, Chase tendered his resignation as he had three times before, but this time Lincoln stunned Chase by calling his bluff and accepting the offer. Abraham Lincoln When Lincoln won the Republican presidential nomination in 1860 he seemed to have come from nowhere--a backwoods lawyer who had served one undistinguished term in the House of Representatives and lost two consecutive contests for the U.S. Senate. Though the feisty New Yorker would continue to debate numerous issues with Lincoln in the years ahead, exactly as Lincoln had hoped and needed him to do, Seward would become his closest friend, advisor, and ally in the administration. After losing to Lincoln he vowed, in his diary, to decline a cabinet position if one were to be offered, but with the country "in trouble and danger" he felt it was his duty to accept when Lincoln asked him to be attorney general. Goodwin marvels at Lincoln's ability to co-opt three better-born, better-educated rivals—each of whom had challenged Lincoln for the 1860 Republican nomination. The three were New York senator William H. Seward, who became secretary of state; Ohio senator Salmon P. Chase, who signed on as secretary of the treasury and later was nominated by Lincoln to be chief justice of the Supreme Court; and Missouri's "distinguished elder statesman" Edward Bates, who served as attorney general. On another front, Goodwin's spotlighting of the president's three former rivals tends to undercut that Lincoln's most essential Cabinet-level contacts were not with Seward, Chase and Bates, but rather with secretaries of war Simon Cameron and Edwin Stanton, and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This story of leadership is well worth reading with care."
"Doris Kearns Goodwin did a great job in revealing his true character."
"Really interesting read."
"people's perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and customs are eye opening and make me think that we've lost much in the rush to productivity and the electronic age."
"It seems incredible that Lincoln, who so fervently believed in democracy and liberty and the right of USA to free itself from the English colonialist could oppress the First Nations in the North Americas."
"The Amazon support team also did a wonderful job of getting this new volume to me in spite of difficulties with a seller's stocking issues."
"Team of Rivals is, as the name suggests, a historical record of Lincoln's rise to power, primarily focused on the 1860 presidential campaign and the Republican politicians he surprisingly bested in that race. In a move quite unusual for its time, instead of concentrating his power and distributing patronage to his supporters, Lincoln co-opted his rivals by including them in his Civil War Cabinet."
"I particularly liked the stories about Lincoln's cabinet."