Civil War book recommendations

[bluegoose]

With Fathers Day and B-day coming up, I am looking to update my Amazon wish list.

Does anyone have a favorite civil war book they can recommend? I'm look for something historical thats fairly light and easy to to get into.

I've always been interested in the Civil War, and Archaeas recent post reminded me that I know very few details beyond what I learned in 10th grade history class.

[creekster]

good and easy read, although risking creating another Joshua Freak, is Michael Shaara's Killer Angels. It is a page turning novelized account of Gettysburg that is largely rooted in history.

I am curretnly working through Foote's trilogy on the civil war and I highly recommend them, although they are not short and are very detailed, but they are very good.

[Colly Wolly]

Rifles for Waite.

[creekster]

Also hard to go wrong with Rede Badge of Courage

[All-American]

Originally Posted by creekster

good and easy read, although risking creating another Joshua Freak, is Michael Shaara's Killer Angels. It is a page turning novelized account of Gettysburg that is largely rooted in history.

I am curretnly working through Foote's trilogy on the civil war and I highly recommend them, although they are not short and are very detailed, but they are very good.

His kid Jeff Shaara wrote a prequel and a sequel that I also enjoyed-- "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure." Not as good as "The Killer Angels", but good, nevertheless.

[Surfah]

Quantrill's War. Very interesting read into a guerilla fighter during the Civil War who raided Lawrence, KS in bloodlust.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by bluegoose

With Fathers Day and B-day coming up, I am looking to update my Amazon wish list.

Does anyone have a favorite civil war book they can recommend? I'm look for something historical thats fairly light and easy to to get into.

I've always been interested in the Civil War, and Archaeas recent post reminded me that I know very few details beyond what I learned in 10th grade history class.

The best single volume history is Battle Cry of Freedom, in my opinion and that of many others. It won the Pulitzer a few years back. This is the place to start.

Shelby Foote's multi-volume history is kind of a modern classic.

I think Bruce Catton's vouminous history is great. I've only bounced around in this one and Foote's treatise.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by creekster

good and easy read, although risking creating another Joshua Freak, is Michael Shaara's Killer Angels. It is a page turning novelized account of Gettysburg that is largely rooted in history.

I am curretnly working through Foote's trilogy on the civil war and I highly recommend them, although they are not short and are very detailed, but they are very good.

In addition to being a novel, the Killer Angels focuses on ony one battle--Gettysburgh. If you want to get a factual account of the big picture, again, I recommend McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Stick It In Him

Rifles for Waite.

This is a wonerful novel for smart children and young adults. I read it twice as a kid. I finished it and started reading it again immediately. My daughter loved it too. It doesn't mean adults can't enjoy it too. This book focuses on the Civil War in a fairly limited geographic area, in fact an area that has received little attention--the American soutwest, primarily southwest Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, if memory serves me.

It's spelled "Watie," by the way.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by creekster

Also hard to go wrong with Rede Badge of Courage

Again, a novel. You won't learn much about the civil war reading this, though it will have some interesting things to tell you about warfare and human nature.