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Title: Secession to Fort Henry (Shelby Foote, Civil War, a Narrative , Vol 1) by Editors of Time-Life Books ISBN: 0-7835-0100-5 Publisher: Time-Life Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (1 review)
Rating: 5
Summary: What a Book!
Comment: Wow. A couple of friends at work have been urging me to read Shelby Foote's trilogy, Civil War A Narrative, for over four years now, and I finally completed the first of the three, Fort Sumpter to Perryville. I am just as impressed as they suggested I would be.
Although the series is now quite old (the original copyright is 1958), it is still probably one of the best and most comprehensive descriptions of the war from beginning to end. Foote was actually a journalist and novelist rather than an historian, but his interest in the war between the states was an over riding and life long passion. His experience as a writer probably prepared him better for his task of presenting the conflict to the reading public than any PhD in history could ever have done. His laid back and genteel style of address, his thorough knowledge of and apparent impartiality for both sides in the conflict, and his delightfully anecdotal approach to the subject are a pleasure to read. I think it is telling that his is the Civil War History most often cited in the footnotes and bibliographies of other writers on the subject, even those of more recent publication. Like the diary of the southern belle Mary Chestnut, Foote's Civil War seems to be the sine que non reference to have in ones own work. Not taking note of it is almost to suggest ignorance of ones own topic, if not downright illiteracy!
Although the narrative is essentially told from the perspective of the various officers and politicians involved-often they were the same people, both an officer and a politician-the author also includes diary entries and letters from common soldiers on both sides, lending a very up close and personal sense to the events of the war. (I remember on several occasions telling my husband that I had to "get back to the War, as we were about to attack Richmond!" or some other place.)
My only complaint is that, at least so far, very little is made of the black experience in the war. This may be because documents from this population are largely lacking or that mentions of black individuals in other material is often skewed, although it seems doubtful. I know that Mary Chestnut mentions slaves and that some documentaries have quoted letters from slave/soldiers to family back home.
I found particularly interesting the character sketches of Lincoln and his opposite number in the Confederacy's presidency, Jefferson Davis. Their problems were often quite similar, yet their psychological make up was so vastly different, that outcomes were often determined by this fact. It was also interesting that they had similar difficulties with their constituency, both coming under attack by the public for the way they were conducting the war and the choices of personnel they made to conduct it.
So impartial is the author and so respectful of the strengths of both societies and their leaders and armies, that the reader is often cheering first one side and then the other, is fearful for the well-being and fates of first one group of soldiers or individuals and then the other. I think this reflects the ambiguity and division that was often felt even at the time, since many families had members fighting on both sides of the conflict. Even General Lee himself had a son fighting for the Union. It reflects, too, that the war was a conflict among a people rather than between people. One might well still feel animosity toward the "other" side had the division remained permanent and the two remained independent countries. Because it became united again, we in the present can feel compassion for those who lost their lives on both sides. After all, both sides were "us!
Truly an impressive work. I look forward to reading the other volumes in the series.
For THOSE WRITING PAPERS: in history and sociology. Read McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom. How are it and Foote's Civil War a Narrative different in their approaches to the same topic? Is this simply a matter of style? Is it a difference in the individual backgrounds of the author? How might ones geopolitical outlook or ones generation effect ones interpretation of an historical subject? Has much new documentation occurred since Foote wrote his narrative or are differences between his and other works due only to differences in interpretation of the same documents? Read some of the documents of civil war-check the bibliography of this or other books to make a list of primary documents like newspapers, letters, diaries, military lists, etc. or check your reference library for a list. Do a personal interpretation of these documents yourself to see what you can learn about the civil war from them and write up your conclusions. Are they similar to Foote's work? Check with your family "historians" and geneologists-almost every family has someone interested in the history of their family-to see if there were ancestors who fought in the war. Record the narrative of what is known about this person or persons. If there are letters written to or by them or diaries extant, copy some of the entries and see if the information sheds illumination on some aspect of the civil war. Write up your conclusions. Is this a valid way of recreating a history of an event? Check your local or state historical society for information on their part in the civil war and write your conclusions. Are your conclusions similar to Footes'? Check your local cemetery for civil war markers. See too if you can find out the population statistics for the area. On this basis what proportion of the population participated in the civil war from your locale? How might this have affected the economics and demographics of your area at the time?
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Title: Fort Donelson to Memphis (Shelby Foote, the Civil War, a Narrative , Vol 2) by Editors of Time-Life Books, Shelby Foote ISBN: 0783501013 Publisher: Time-Life Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1998 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Second Manassas to Pocotaligo (Shelby Foote, the Civil War, a Narrative, Vol 4) by Shelby Foote ISBN: 078350103X Publisher: Warner Books Inc Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Mine Run to Meridian (Shelby Foote. the Civil War. a Narrative) ISBN: 0783501080 Publisher: Warner Books Inc Pub. Date: 01 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $24.99 |
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Title: Shiloh by Shelby Foote ISBN: 0679735429 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 April, 1991 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present (Perennial Classics) by Howard Zinn ISBN: 0060528370 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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