Product Description

The Civil War: A Narrative (Hardcover, 3 Vol. Gift Set)

A stunning literary and historical achievement, the three volumes of Shelby Foote’s THE CIVIL WAR vividly bring to life the four years of torment and strife that altered American life forever. Presented in a handsome boxed set, these three beautifully bound hardcovers are an essential addition to every American history collection.

Taking the reader from the drama of Jefferson Davis’s resignation from the United States Senate and Abraham Lincoln’s arrival in the nation’s capital to Davis’s final flight and capture and Lincoln’s tragic death, Foote covers his subject with astonishing depth and scope. Every battle, every general, and every statesman has its place in this monumental narrative, told in lively prose that captures the sights, smells, and sounds of the conflict. Never before have the great battles and personalities of the Civil War been so excitingly presented, and never before has the story been told so completely.

With a novelist’s gift for narrative and a historian’s commitment to research, Shelby Foote’s epic retelling is the definitive account of the Civil War, a trilogy that has earned a place of honor on the bookshelves of all Americans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103605 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05
• Binding: Hardcover
• 2936 pages

Customer Reviews

The beginning point of Civil War study...
If you have any serious interest in the Civil War, this is the place to start. With the possible exception of McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom", this is the best narrative of the Civil War ever written. Shelby Foote, the gray-bearded, southern-accented man who added so many insights to Ken Burn's "Civil War" presented on PBS, presents a comprehensive picture of politics, battles, strategy, personnel, and the utter devestation the war wreaked across the south. There are hundreds and hundreds of books that have been written about this tragic period in American history but few draw the reader into the events like this trilogy. Mr. Foote's research is daunting and evidence of a life poured into the study of this time period. His prose is concise and a joy to read. This is the gold standard that all Civil War books are judged by.

Outstanding
Until reading this set, I didn't know much about the Civil War, and frankly didn't have much interest in it.

That said, these volumes do an outstanding job of recounting both the macro military/political issues and the anecdotes and detail which make history come alive. The author does a great job of using various quips and quotes from the soldiers and officers to illustrate broader points about morale of and conditions in both armies. For instance, at one point General Bragg called in a private who reported that the Union army was in retreat; after questioning the trooper, Bragg scoffed at his report, saying that private probably didn't even know what a retreat looked like. The private replied that he surely did know, because he had been under Bragg's command for the last two campaigns...Maybe serious Civil War buffs will have encountered all of these materials before, but I found that they really brought the books to life.

Both the battles and campaigns leading up to them receive detailed treatment, including many smaller battles and skirmishes. I am not really inclined toward one side or another, but generally found that the coverage of the two sides was about equal and objective, although the author certainly has favorite generals, while others, such as Thomas, get less favorable treatment than I've seen elsewhere. While this is primarily a military history, it also provided excellent coverage of the various political considerations and the close-run and momentous presidential election of 1864.

A fantastic set if you have lots of time on your hands. I actually listened to the book (unabridged) on audio book, and was disappointed when it finally ended.

SUPERLATIVE CIVIL WAR HISTORY
Even though almost 3000 pages in length, this book is well worth your time if you want a well written, comprehensive, informative and entertaining history of the American Civil War. Shelby Foote has managed to consistently produce accurate and literate history throughout his opus. I have read all of Bruce Catton and James McPherson as well as numerous other biographies and unit, local and campaign histories of the Civil War. Although well read, I can not claim to be an expert on the Civil War and am unable (and unwilling)to verify all the facts and information contained in his book, but if Foote is inaccurate in places as claimed by some, he has certainly managed to convey the scope and essence of the Civil War to his readers. The book reads not so much as an analysis of a distant conflict occurring 140 years in the past as a discussion of current events that happened just a short time ago. The author's descriptions and explanations of campaigns and personalities make the Civil War come alive and become more understandable to the contemporary reader.

In contrast to many histories which treat the western campaigns as occurring in the Shenandoah Valley, Foote gives equal treatment to the campaigns occurring in the western border states of Missouri and Kentucky and the Confederate littoral states of Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas in addition to the more commonly encountered battles of northern Virginia, the eastern border states, and the deep South. He even includes the action in New Mexico and Arizona! The book includes a complete description of naval action both North and South, the fresh water fleets and on the high seas. He explains social and economic aspects of the War on each side although necessarily the impact on the South was the most devastating. Local politics as well as cabinet level intrigues on both sides are highlighted along with diplomatic relations with Europe and Latin America. Although Foote's Southern perspective is apparent in his treatment of the Southern home front in Richmond and elsewhere, I did not detect any undue bias in favor of the Southern viewpoint as others have. I am willing to accept the author's claim to only have a viewpoint sympathetic to the underdog in the struggle. Undoubtedly, the South fought long, hard, and well and was finally exhausted and defeated by the the North's demographic and economic advantages. The maps of major campaigns and territorial changes are well done and save much confusion for the reader. I appreciated Foote including the military order of battle information helping to keep command relationships clear as changes were made.

There are a few very minor complaints to make. I believe that in a work of this length and comprehensiveness, notes and a bibliography would not only be helpful but are essential. At a length of almost 3000 pages, 50-100 pages of notes and sources would not be too much for the author and publisher to include and if one doesn't read these normally, their inclusion shouldn't bother anybody anyway. I understand the reasons given by the author for omitting his sources but would have liked to have them myself and am sure others agree. I also think that chapter length could have been pared somewhat from the hundred or more pages included within each chapter. Finally, I would have liked to have seen more photo illustrations especially portraits of the leaders mentioned in the book. While we all know what Grant and Lee and probably also Sherman and Jackson looked like, in a book of this length and topic I would have appreciated a photo gallery for those who are curious how Pierre Beauregard, Irvin McDowell, Leonidas Polk, John McClernand and others appeared during the conflict. The edition I read was printed in 1987 so perhaps more recent editions incorporate some of these suggestions. If not and Mr. Foote doesn't wish to devote any more of his life to this book, a competent research or graduate assistant should easily be able to incorporate some of these additions from Mr. Foote's notes and other available sources.