The american civil war 18611865 was a civil war in the united states of america. Many of our biblio booksellers offer antique and rare civil war books that would add great value to your book collection. For a one volume history of the war you cant top mcpherson but for a more comprhensive history of events leading up to the war and during the war itself id recommend the 8 volume ordeal of the union by allan nevins. Known as a narrative historian, catton specialized in popular history, featuring interesting characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses. Zinn states that, despite popular belief, the 1920s were not a time of. Pictorial history of the civil war in the united states of. The best historians and books according to james mcpherson.
Page 71 when congress shall arm one part of the people against another, for any purpose beyond that of merely protecting the general government in the exercise of its proper constitutional functions. His most recent book, defining duty in the civil war. Mcpherson, now a professor emeritus at princeton university, set out to tell the story of the civil war in a single though. Browse our selection of books on civil war history, and learn about the heroes who fought and died to preserve the american union.
Head on over to the history enthusiast for an excellent followup to this post. Civil war faq and will be posted on or about the 20th of each month. During the civil war, and even after the war came to an end, yankee was a term used by southerners to describe their rivals from the union, or northern, side of the conflict. Abcs of the civil war and reconstruction adobe spark.
Ive read all here except the republic of suffering i enjoyed the differing perspectives between foote, cotton, and mcphereson as they covered the same ground. There are an extraordinary number of books covering all aspects of the war from large overviews like james mcphersons battle cry freedom, gary gallaghers books on the union war and the confederate war, allan nevins 8 volume set on the conflict, and shelby footes three volume set of books on the war. Five greatest books about the civil war nonfiction. The centennial history of the civil war, 186165, 3 vols. The types of food that were popular during the civil war was very different from the food we eat today due to wartime food shortages and a lack of both refrigeration and largescale food processing, most meals were simple, easy to prepare dishes made from basic ingredients that could be grown in a garden or purchased and stored easily. The american civil war was fought between 1861 and 1865 over the issues of slavery and states rights. A new book examines why gone with the wind dominates popular memory of the civil warand which forgotten stories of that time are worth remembering. A fastpaced chronicle of the fighting on the battlefield and the infighting in the political capitals of washington and richmond. Eleven southern slave states declared their secession from the united states and formed the confederate states of america, also known as the confederacy. Sometimes it is a negative description, sometimes it is playful.
Short stories, american, united states history civil war, 18611865 fiction. Some of these books go into great detail about the american civil war, and some these selections include. Best books about the civil war a history blog about the. Chapter 10, the other civil war, covers the antirent movement, the dorr. The killer angels by michael shaara, gone with the wind by margaret mitchell, battle cry of freedom by james m. Theres a huge market now in swordandsandal historical. Save over 20% credits will not expire, so you can use them at any time. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Yesterday, flagpoleclimbing hero bree newsome posted a series of frustrated tweets about education in the united states, and specifically how people can have such. Thomas hobbes wrote the leviathan in 1651, during the english civil war, and in it, he laid out the first basis of popular sovereignty.
One of the most popular categories of these books tells much of the tale of the larger war by focusing on the life and experiences of a single person. From james mcphersons definitive history to tony horwitzs adventures among obsessives, here are the 11 best books on the civil war in time for the. Mcpherson is considered to be the dean of civil war historians. If you saw the ken burns pbs series on the civil war you saw the man with a twinkle in his eye as he told you a story about one of the many events that constituted the war. Before the civil war, congress was a hotbed of violence. Apr 14, 2017 the civil war is not just for americans. A superbly readable military history by a novelist who did a massive amount of historical research. A peoples history of the united states is a 1980 nonfiction book by american historian and. Congress possesses many means of preserving it by conciliation. The kidnapping of president lincoln and other war detective stories.
In the interview, mcpherson stated who he believes are americas top historians, the best book on the civil war, military history, african american history, the book most responsible for shaping his career, and even the most overrated history book ever. But these achievements came at the cost of 625,000 livesnearly as many american soldiers as died in all the other wars in which this country has fought combined. The civil war in the united states began in 1861, after decades of simmering tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, states rights and westward expansion. Civil war stories to read instead of gone with the wind time. From james mcphersons definitive history to tony horwitzs adventures among obsessives, here are the 11 best books on the civil war in time. The american civil war was the largest and most destructive conflict in the western world between the end of the napoleonic wars in 1815 and the onset of world war i in 1914. According to his theory, human beings were selfish and if left alone, in what he called a state of nature, human life would be nasty, brutish, and short. This 1970s high school history book taught the most insane. The civil war is the most written about event in united states history.
Kristen suggests that the list reflects the state of the field today and how students of the civil war are still in many ways an old boys club. Best books about the civil war civil war saga a history. Jul 30, 2019 thomas hobbes wrote the leviathan in 1651, during the english civil war, and in it, he laid out the first basis of popular sovereignty. In 2014, the new york times published a brief interview with noted civil war historian james mcpherson, the george henry davis 1886 professor of american history at princeton university. The most popular theme for alternative histories by far is world war ii it would have been possible to populate the entire list with books where the. By no means is this a comprehensive list of titles, rather it is a list of some of the best books on the topic. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at.
Popular history american civil war books goodreads. The best civil war books of all time analysis civil war. There are several broad categories of civil war book, and the varied types warrant examination. He is best known for his pulitzer prize winning book battle cry of freedom which is the best overview of the civil war. Browse new and enduring titles on ancient history, european history, the civil war, u. Start reading about the civil war american battlefield trust. The american civil war was a historic battle between the north and the south. Learn about civil war battles, generals, political leaders and more. Popular books on battles of the american civil war best. Some of these books go into great detail about the american civil war, and some these selections include maps and posters from the civil war era. Theres a huge market now in swordandsandal historical fiction drawing on the chaos of roman politics. Yesterday, flagpoleclimbing hero bree newsome posted a series of frustrated tweets about education in the united states, and specifically how people can have such extremely varying opinions on the u. But before the american civil war yankee was used by the british to refer to the american colonists. Far more books have been written about the civil war than about any other event in american history, and lincolns stack of books towers over that of any other american figure.
This event marked an important period in american history and shaped its constitution. Civil war stories to read instead of gone with the wind. Before the civil war, congress was a hotbed of violence a new book from historian joanne freeman chronicles the viciousness with which elected officials treated each other. Jun 22, 2017 2 thoughts on best books about the civil war judson hair june 23, 2019 at 11. Six books on the civil war these six histories of the civil war that are mustreads if you want to better understand the conflict a group of officers in culpeper, virginia reading. Any recommended reading list therefore has to be highly selective and at least somewhat arbitrary. Civil war reading list is to provide the beginning civil war reader with a short guide to good introductory books on the war. For whom the bell tolls 1943 film by ernest hemingway about a young american who fights in the international brigades. Charles bruce catton october 9, 1899 august 28, 1978 was an american historian and journalist, known best for his books concerning the american civil war. Reconstructiorefers to the period in united states history immediately following the civil war in which the federal government set the conditions that would allow the rebellious southern states back into the union. What if the confederates won the american civil war. This is a broad library containing novels like the red badge of courage and uncle toms cabin, civil war stories by ambrose pierce, ppems from julia ward howe and emily dickison, and historical documents including the emancipation proclamation, and.
The civil war era, one of the ugliest periods in american history, has produced some of the most fascinating and heartbreaking books, both. A collection of short stories, books, essays, speeches, letters, and poems that concern themselves with the american civil war 1861 1865. Personal choice, popular culture, and the union home front 2105, won the bobbie and john nau book prize in american civil war era history. A brief overview of the american civil war american. Popular history of the civil war 1884 captain george b. Awarded the pulitzer prize for history in 1989 for this book, james m.
Eric wittenbergs latest post includes a list of the 50 greatest civil war. The best civil war books of all time analysis civil. Thus the perennial popularity of books about the civil war. Mcclellan, in what would turn out to be the single bloodiest day of the civil war and in all of american history. Mar 24, 2020 a new book examines why gone with the wind dominates popular memory of the civil warand which forgotten stories of that time are worth remembering. Although the subject of the film is not the international brigades, it portrays international volunteers in the spanish civil war. This event shaped the history of the states in the coming years.