Commager’s Blue and Grey. Must read.
Grant’s Memiors
Completed by Grant just before he passed away with throat cancer.
Bookmark
Starting before the war, read the proto-socialist George Fitzhugh’s book, “Cannibals All!, or Slaves Without Masters” (1857), not just a passionate defense of slavery, but the idea that 9 out of 10 people would be *happier* as slaves (though he assumed his readers were of the 1 in 10 elites.)
And if you really want an education of the arguments leading up to the war, the Lincoln-Douglas debates (which have been very scrutinized, as the newspaper published accounts of the time were *creatively edited*) (filled with lies and partisan slant.)
The American Heritage “Picture History” of the civil war Editor in charge: Richard M. Ketchum Narrative : Bruce Catton Distribution by doubleday
The Killer Angels.
You can’t go wrong with McPherson, Catton and Foote to grasp the overall picture. There are a lot of great books about specific battles. Bowers, Sears and Shaara (for historical fiction) are good.
Neil Winick’s “April 1865” is an interesting treatise about what might have happened had Lee decided to go guerrilla. Harry Turtledove’s book “The Guns of the South” is an interesting sic-fi adventure about the Civil War and RE Lee.
I am not a Ted Turner fan, but I greatly appreciate that he produced “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.” Both are excellent movies.
Company H by Sam Watkins. Became the basis of Ken Burns Cvil War series.
Shelby Foote - Stars in Their Courses - Gettysburg Campaign audiobook- narrated by Shelby Foote (Top 5 audiobooks of all time, IMO)
The Growth of the American Republic [Volumes I & II] Samuel Eliot Morison and Henry Steele Commager available from Amazon - get the older editions.
Thomas DiLorenzo, The Real Lincoln
I highly recommend the Fremantle book about the only British officer who reported on the Civil War...unofficially, and on leave. We have the rights to the book here in Hollywood.
One Gallant Rush - the story of the Massachusetts 54th Infantry at Battery Wagner. Compelling.
Uncle Toms Cabin comes to mind. Read between the lines and discover the seeds of white guilt.
West Point Atlas of Civil War
As a living historian, I rely mostly on diaries and other first person accounts. I prefer the works of the people who lived at the time to those written at a later date. Too often newer books view the events of the past from a 21st century perspective.
Ping
Am currently reading the newly-released biography of Ulysses Grant by Ronald White. Available on Amazon - both Kindle and hardback. Fascinating reading. He was one tough dude.