The
Civil War: A Narrative Volumes 1-3 Box Set by Shelby
Foote
I
have been a Civil War buff since I was a teen. At 76, I have just read all
2,836 pages of Shelby Foote’s excellent narrative of the war. I think reading
it should be worth a master’s degree in Civil War history. You may recall Foote
from Ken’s Burns Civil War TV series. Though Foote was a southerner, I detected
no note of bias in this comprehensive history. He was primarily a novelist, so
the writing was smooth and held my interest. The only thing I thought he left
out was Major General Joshua Chamberlin ordering his union troops to give a
rifle salute as the defeated Confederates marched between them to surrender.
But there were a great many details about battles I knew little or nothing of,
despite my extensive reading and a master’s level course on the war. For
example, there was a detailed account of the action in the English channel
where the USS Kearsarge sunk the Confederate raider CSS Alabama. (It was
nothing like the song!) I especially appreciated the descriptions of the
appearance and character of the various military and civilian leaders. The length
makes this a daunting project, but well worth your time.
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