US Civil War reading Recommendations?

Free Republic ^ | 11/23/2016 | Loud Mime

[Loud Mime]

I am studying our Civil War; anybody have any recommendations for reading?

[DiogenesLamp]

The South lost 70% of its net worth (as human capital) the day that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. A pen was mightier than the sword.

Nonsense. The sword had already done all the work. In terms of the reality of that time period, it was basically a five billion dollar theft by the Federal government. It was legally no different from seizing their land and houses.

It was an abuse of power in complete contradiction to Constitutional law. That it was later condoned by an amendment does not meaningfully address the despotic nature of what was done.

[Skooz]

"Grant’s Memiors Completed by Grant just before he passed away with throat cancer."

That might be the finest war memoir ever written. Just excellent in every respect.

[Repulican Donkey]

Jefferson Davis’ “Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government” is .99 on Kindle. Foote’s trilogy is superb. You cab get Clement Valandingham’s writings for free on Kindle. The guy was an honest genius. His speeches are 19th century syntax so there are lots of long sentences, but worth the work. It was clear why Lincoln hated him and had him exiled. “The Journal of Julia Legrande” is on Kindle. It covers the Union occupation of New Orleans. “The Diary of Mary Chestnut” is good, too.

[DiogenesLamp]

If you want to be technically correct, it was not a civil war at all. A civil war is one between two parties attempting to gain control over one entity not one in which one party forces the other to not assert its independence.

I agree with you, but that is the name it is most commonly known by, so I use it just to avoid having an argument over the term applied.

It is more accurately described as a War of oppression against the Independence of the Southern states.

Then as now, the Liberals try to manipulate the words to support their political agenda.

[DiogenesLamp]

Same crap different day. You think this one will hit 1700 replies, too?

Not the goal. The goal is to make people aware of information that casts a very different light on the conflict. I think perhaps I have made some people aware of information of which they may not have previously been aware.

[rockrr]

He does tend to rattle on, doesn’t he? ;’}

[DoodleDawg]

The goal is to make people aware of information that casts a very different light on the conflict. I think perhaps I have made some people aware of information of which they may not have previously been aware.

Proverbs 18:2.

[DiogenesLamp]

Proverbs 18:2.

I think we can both agree on that one, albeit probably for different reasons. :)

[DoodleDawg]

No doubt.

[DoodleDawg]

It was clear why Lincoln hated him and had him exiled.

I highly doubt that Lincoln gave Valandigham much thought. There were other things going on that demanded his attention.

[rockrr]

We’re at post 170 or so and I thought I would consolidate the titles so far. These are as the poster put them - I haven’t verified any of the titles - but it should give you a good start. Looks like I’m going to be hitting the 99 cant book shelf at amazon!

The list so far:

“A Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States” by Alexander H. Stephens
“Southern Wealth and Northern Profits” by Thomas Prentice Kettell
“Stonewall Jackson,” by James Robertson
“Andersonville” by Kantor
“Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara
“The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War” by H. W. Crocker III
“Shrouds of Glory” by Winston Groom
‘A Disease in the Public Mind’ by Thomas Fleming
“The Civil War: A Narrative’ (trilogy) by Shelby Foote
“Army of the Potomac” (trilogy) by Bruce Catton
“Battle Cry of Freedom” by McPherson
“The Civil War” by Geoffrey C. Ward
“I Rode With Stonewall”
“Lee’s Lieutenants” by Freeman
“Ironclads”
“Lincoln” by Carl Sandburg
“The Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox- Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan and Their Brothers”
“One man war” by Jack Hinson
“The Last Full Measure” by Jeffrey Shaara
“Silence at Appomatox”
“The American Republic: Constitution, Tendencies and Destiny” by Orestes Brownson
“The South Was Right!” by James Ronald Kennedy
“Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant” by Ulysses S. Grant
“Cannibals All!, or Slaves Without Masters” by George Fitzhugh
“A Memoir of the Civil War” by Sam R. Watkins
“The Growth of the American Republic [Volumes I & II]” by Samuel Eliot Morison
“The Real Lincoln” by Thomas DiLorenzo
“One Gallant Rush”
“Uncle Toms Cabin”
“West Point Atlas for the American Civil War” by Thomas E. Griess
“The Life of Billy Yank and The life of Johnny Reb” by Bell I. Wiley
“Grant Biography” by H.W. Brands
“Ulysses Grant” by Ronald White
“Ordeal of the Union” (8 volumes) by Allen Nevins
“Morgan’s Raiders” By Dee Alexander Brown
“Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men.” by Jeff Hummel
“Hardtack and Coffee” by John Billings
“All For The Union” by Elisha Hunt Rhodes
“Pickett’s Last Charge” by Earl Hess
“Grant Takes Command: 1863 - 1865” by Bruce Catton
“Guns Of the South” by Harry Turtledove
“Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War’ by General Richard Taylor
“Gods and Generals”, and “Last Full Measure” by Jeff Shaara
“William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country: A Life” by James Lee McDonough
“Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson” by S.C Gwynne
“Lee’s Lieutenants” by Freeman
“Fighting for the confederacy” by Edward Porter Alexander
“Campaigning with Grant” by Horace Porter
“Gettysburg: A Testing Of Courage” by Noah Andre Trudeau
“Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government” by Jefferson Davis

[Pelham]

Not exactly. USS Merrimack was a frigate named for a river in Massachusetts. US Navy personnel burned her at Norfolk Navy Yard the day after Virginia seceded. The CSS Virginia was constructed from her hull.

[Loud Mime]

I am amazed at the responses to my question. I thank all of you on this day of thanksgiving.

Seriously; this is FreeRepublic at its best.

LM

[tbw2]

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War (The Politically Incorrect Guides)

[Loud Mime]

I remember the first time I heard an argument between the concepts of the Civil War and the War Between the States. It was one of those times that I went into learning mode and didn’t say a word; I just listened to the heated argument before me.

You are correct - the words are manipulated to suit a political agenda.

[DoodleDawg]

A nice mix of history and fiction.

[bonfire]

Bfl

[ml/nj]

Charles Adams' When in the Course of Human Events

Best book for politics of the time. Even if you don't buy it, at least read the reviews at Amazon.

ML/NJ

[BroJoeK]

DiogenesLamp: "The goal is to make people aware of information that casts a very different light on the conflict.
I think perhaps I have made some people aware of information of which they may not have previously been aware."

For any who have not encountered him before, DiogenesLamp is now our most persistent pro-Confederate propagadist, salesman for the Lost Cause, defender of historical mythology and revisionism.
As such, he mongers a lengthy line of talking points based on Marxist dialectics utterly immune to real facts and actual historical motives.
For example, like all pro-Confederates, DiogenesLamp minimizes the importance of slavery to Secessionists, while exaggerating the role of economics to Unionists.

So here's what's important to remember: at one place or another, every one of DiogenesLamp's talking points has been addressed and refuted in great detail, none of which had any effect, impervious as he is to such mundane things as facts, reason, logic or truth.
Instead he continues posting the same nonsense where ever opportunity presents itself.

The real historical truth is just what everyone learned in school: Deep South Fire Eaters declared secession in order to protect their "peculiar institution" -slavery- from abolitionists like "Ape" Lincoln and his Black Republicans.
These Secessionists then provoked, started and declared war on the United States in order to assert their sovereignty and to win more states & territories for the Confederacy.
Meanwhile, the Union did not formally recognize Confederate independence, but believed it could not use military force to prevent it unless Confederates started war, which they soon did.

Emancipation then became increasingly important to the Union as a tactic for weakening Confederate military and economic power.

That's what we learned in school, it was true then and still is today regardless of how often DiogenesLamp repeats his pro-Confederate cockamamie nonsense.

[rockrr]

For example, like all pro-Confederates, DiogenesLamp minimizes the importance of slavery to Secessionists, while exaggerating the role of economics to Unionists.

Exaggerating?! He constructs a virtual Wickerman that he then burns in effigy to the Gawds of Lost Causerdom.