General Histories
General Histories and Miscellaneous
These books typically tend to be one or greater volume books covering the whole war.
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Title
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Author
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Comments
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The Civil War: A Narrative The Complete Three Volume Set
The Civil War: A Narrative Volume 1, Fort Sumter to Perryville The Civil War: A Narrative Volume 2, Fredericksburg to Meridian The Civil War: A Narrative Volume 3, Red River to Appomattox |
Shelby
Foote
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Updated 9/28/02 This is Foote's first volume of his epic telling of the American Civil War. From the War's beginnings to the little Kentucky town of Perryville, Foote produces a book that is highly enjoyable and always interesting. If you know someone who you think would like to know more about the Civil War, buy them this set. It really is that good. The maps are very general, as this is more of an exciting story rather than a tactical book. Volume 1 840 pp., Volume 2 971 pp., Volume 3 1106 pp. |
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Bruce Catton
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Updated
9/28/02 This is a really good
one volume introduction to the war. Catton is known as one of the foremost
writers of ACW literature this country has ever produced. This book
may be hard to find, and you could try some place like EBay, or Amazon.com's
EBay-like area. 341 pp.
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Bruce Catton
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Updated
9/28/02 This is the first of Catton's trilogy that he wrote to
commemorate the 100 year annivesary of the war. This set of books launched
the Civil War publishing boom that is still going strong today, and
hopefully someone will do the same at the War's 150th Anniversary as
well. To be honest, I found the first part of this book to be exceedingly
dull. Frankly, I much prefer the battlefield action to what was happening
at the Democratic National Convention of 1860. Once you get past that,
though, the book is similar to Foote's trilogy. Overall I'd rather have
Foote's books than these, however. 605 pp., 8 maps
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Bruce Catton
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Updated
9/28/02 The Second Volume
of the trilogy, covering the fighting at Wilson's Creek all the way
to the bloody fighting near Sharpsburg, Maryland. 558 ppp., 16 maps
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Bruce Catton
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Updated
9/28/02 The Last Volume
of the trilogy, covering everything from Fredericksburg to the end of
the war. 558 pp.
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Bruce Catton
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Updated
9/28/02 I really enjoyed this book when I first read it early
on in my Civil War studies. It goes into a little more detail than does
Catton's The Civil War, and it views the war more from a Union perspective.
It's a very good one volume book, and I highly recommend it to beginners.
559 ppp., 7 maps
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Philip Katcher
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Updated
9/28/02 This is a really unique book. Those familiar with the
format of the "Sourcebook" series know that this book packs a wealth
of information. It is a reference book of the highest quality. The campaigns
are briefly outlined in the first part of the book, and then the forces
of each side are detailed state by state. Alook at the militias of both
sides follows that. Then brief biographies of selected personalities
are covered. This is a must-have book. It provides a quick resource
to use to find info quickly. And it is also highly interesting. I recommend
this one highly. 318 pp.
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Frances H. Kennedy (editor) Various Authors |
Updated
9/28/02
I also highly recommend this one.
It contains topographic maps of the battlefields as they appear today
with troop movements superimposed over top. There are also brief histories
of the battles covered. The end of the book contains all of the battlefields
currently protected from development, and the ones most in need of immediate
protection. This is an excellent book for the battlefield trampers out
there. 512 pp., many, many maps |
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David S. Heidler
and Jeanne T. Heidler (editors)
Various Authors |
New 6/14/03 An all-encompassing reference work is needed for every good Civil War book collection, and this book fits the bill quite nicely. Many recognizable Civil War authors contribute, and the articles I've taken the time to read are concise and provide adequate information on the topics covered. I consider this to be a must-own. 2784 pp, many maps |
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