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Civil war book recommendations
Posted on 8/9/18 at 11:44 pm
Posted on 8/9/18 at 11:44 pm
Been digging into some civil war history and was looking for book recommendations preferably about the eastern theatre but doesn’t have to be necessarily. I have been reading the civil war: a narrative by Shelby Foote so far
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Posted on 8/10/18 at 6:15 am to tatervol
I'm interested to hear suggestions as well
I've tried reading about the Civil war numerous times and just can't get into it for unknown reasons. I always dive back into the first and second world wars
I've tried reading about the Civil war numerous times and just can't get into it for unknown reasons. I always dive back into the first and second world wars
Posted on 8/10/18 at 7:52 am to tatervol
Shelby Foote trilogy.
Posted on 8/10/18 at 8:48 am to tatervol
Depends on exactly what you are looking for. The Foote trilogy is a great wide ranging overview of the war, but it can be a little less than engaging at times.
If you don't mind historical fiction, check out Michael and Jeff Shaara. Michael wrote The Killer Angels, on which the movie Gettysburg was based. His son Jeff wrote Gods & Generals (covers the start of the war to just before Gettysburg) and Last Full Measure (Gettysburg retreat through Appomattox). These focus exclusively on the eastern theater. Jeff then wrote four more books (The Smoke at Dawn, A Chain of Thunder, A Blaze of Glory, The Fateful Lightning) which covered the western theater - Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Sherman's March.
If you want to get a little more personal, check out Company Aytch by Sam Watkins. It is his memoir of life in the First Tennessee, which saw action in the western theater.
There are a ton of great regimental histories on both sides. If you have an ancestor that fought, see if you can find a book on his regiment. It helps to have a personal connection, and to see what they went through during the war. I have several in my collection because I have multiple family members that served on both sides. My picks from those are...
Joe Brown's Army about the Georgia State Line Infantry, initially raised to guard the bridges of the Western & Atlantic after the Andrews Raid, they saw action during the Atlanta Campaign.
Cobb's Legion Cavalry details a Georgia cavalry unit that rode with Wade Hampton and JEB Stuart.
A Scythe of Fire follows the 8th Georgia Infantry throughout the eastern theater.
I Will Give Them One More Shot follows one of the earliest Georgia regiments, Ramsey's First Regiment of Georgia Volunteers, which served from the beginning of the war until being disbanded in early 1862. They fought under Lee during the Cheat Mountain Campaign and Jackson during the Romney Expedition which was just before Jackson's Valley Campaign.
If you don't mind historical fiction, check out Michael and Jeff Shaara. Michael wrote The Killer Angels, on which the movie Gettysburg was based. His son Jeff wrote Gods & Generals (covers the start of the war to just before Gettysburg) and Last Full Measure (Gettysburg retreat through Appomattox). These focus exclusively on the eastern theater. Jeff then wrote four more books (The Smoke at Dawn, A Chain of Thunder, A Blaze of Glory, The Fateful Lightning) which covered the western theater - Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Sherman's March.
If you want to get a little more personal, check out Company Aytch by Sam Watkins. It is his memoir of life in the First Tennessee, which saw action in the western theater.
There are a ton of great regimental histories on both sides. If you have an ancestor that fought, see if you can find a book on his regiment. It helps to have a personal connection, and to see what they went through during the war. I have several in my collection because I have multiple family members that served on both sides. My picks from those are...
Joe Brown's Army about the Georgia State Line Infantry, initially raised to guard the bridges of the Western & Atlantic after the Andrews Raid, they saw action during the Atlanta Campaign.
Cobb's Legion Cavalry details a Georgia cavalry unit that rode with Wade Hampton and JEB Stuart.
A Scythe of Fire follows the 8th Georgia Infantry throughout the eastern theater.
I Will Give Them One More Shot follows one of the earliest Georgia regiments, Ramsey's First Regiment of Georgia Volunteers, which served from the beginning of the war until being disbanded in early 1862. They fought under Lee during the Cheat Mountain Campaign and Jackson during the Romney Expedition which was just before Jackson's Valley Campaign.
This post was edited on 8/10/18 at 8:51 am
Posted on 8/10/18 at 12:00 pm to DukeSilver
quote:
Shelby Foote trilogy.
They are fantastic, I read them during my civil war phase 20 years ago. The thing is they are 3000 pages long in total, which is quite a bit to commit to. It is also quite dull at times.
I would recommend battle cry of freedom which is a lot shorter. Its pretty good.
I found a lot of interest in picking one character and then reading about that person. I quite enjoyed reading about stonewall jackson.
Posted on 8/10/18 at 4:51 pm to tatervol
Lee's Tigers by Terry Jones is a good book about the two Louisiana brigades that were in the Eastern theater of the war.
Posted on 8/11/18 at 10:50 pm to tatervol
Foote trilogy
Posted on 8/13/18 at 7:57 am to Rockbrc
I'm reading Fighting for the Confederacy by General Porter Alexander. He does not shy from criticizing Lee and others. Fascinating read so far.
Posted on 8/14/18 at 11:06 pm to tatervol
Gods and Generals
Posted on 9/6/18 at 7:05 pm to tatervol
While not really about the war per se, but Confederates In The Attic is a fantastic read about why the spirit of the war lives on today.
Posted on 9/7/18 at 9:13 am to DukeSilver
quote:
Shelby Foote trilogy.
This was on my list this year. I made it 200 pages in and had to stop because I kept falling asleep.
I will give it another shot once I no longer have infants and can get more than 6 hours of sleep per night.
Posted on 9/7/18 at 10:24 pm to tatervol
Rebel Yell is a great book about Jackson's time with the Confederacy and what made him so great.
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