(Vanity) Recommendations For Books on the "Civil War"/War Between The States

[GOP_Raider]

I told myself I'd limit myself to one vanity post per several hundred comments and threads I'd posted, so I apologize in advance.

Currently, I'm doing some summer reading and I'm looking specifically for books on the Civil War/War Between the States--or the "War of Northern Agression" if you're so inclined. While I am for certain that this topic could fill up my living room and perhaps my grandparents' entire house, I'm looking for anything that those of you who argue back and forth on the Civil War threads have read. Thanks in advance.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Arghhh...too early....I meant to say “Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in the literature.”

[mware]

Killer Angels

[schurmann]

One of the best I’ve read is “Class of 1846” by John Waugh.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Actually, I didn’t care much for Killer Angels since I thought Shaara engaged in too much psycho-babble. I live in Gettysburg though, so maybe I have a slanted opinion on the matter.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

My wife already has it. In fact, we’ve got an enormous Civil War library from our grad school days at Virginia Tech (under Bud Robertson)

[metesky]

For insight into the Western Theatre try That Devil Forrest by John Allan Wyeth and Nathan Bedford Forrest - A Biography by Jack Hurst

The uneducated Forrest has been acknowledged by many as ranking at the top of history's great cavalry leaders.

[hellbender]

If you are interested in the Confederate navy, there is a new book out about the CSS Shenandoah, a Confederate commerce raider

If you can find a copy in a library, Memoirs of Service Afloat by Raphael Semmes, commander of the Alabama, tells the story of that CSS raider and is full of flaming Southern nationalist rhetoric.

[Dumpster Baby]

[Eepsy]

How the heck did “Bring the Jubilee” go out of print? It’s one of the seminal works of alternate history....

[ottbmare]

I really loathed Confederates in the Attic. I can't stand that snarky, I'm-a-sophisticated-Washington Post-"journalist"-and-I'm-way-above-these-uncultured-Southerners tone he takes. Typical WaPo writing style. I disliked it especially because people I know and am fond of appear in the book and are made to look like foolish losers.

[DemonDeac]

James McPherson wrote a fascinating study of why men chose to fight, what motivated them on the battle field, and other factors such as that. It was based on looking at the letters of hundreds of soldiers from both sides and all economic and social categories so he was able to give you a picture of what different types of soldiers were like and what made them more likely to be motivated and more likely to cower, etc. Awesome book and quick read. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War .

http://www.amazon.com/Cause-Comrades-Why-Fought-Civil/dp/0195124995/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214487328&sr=8-3

[DemonDeac]

I thought it was patronizing towards the south personally.

[Fiji Hill]

Although most accounts focus on the fighting in the East and South, the War Between the States involved plenty of action in the Far West as well. In 1862 , the Confederates launched an invasion of New Mexico that reached as far north as Santa Fe, pushed westward through Tucson, and at one point came within 80 miles of the California border.

For those interested in this overlooked aspect of the Civil War, I would recommend Blood & Treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest by Donald S. Frazier(Texas A & M University Press, 1997), which is is a good account of the campaign in New Mexico. Fictional accounts, which I haven't read but have received critical acclaim include Glorita Pass, Galveston, and Guns of Valverde by P. G. Nagle.

[Floyd Rivers]

Thanks for your perspective. I have heard that when you know someone or some people who have been written about, that they are often misrepresented or slighted by the author for his own gain/purposes. I was born in Georgia(though I grew up way out west), and hold a solid, if somewhat romanticized, respect for Southerners and Southern culture. I never really detected too much of a snobbish, “I'm better than these folks”, tone to his writing. In fact, there were parts where he clearly writes about being chided or poked at by some of his interviewees as not being Southern enough to really “get it”. Perhaps I'll read it again.

[FFranco]

According to Amazon, the last edition of ‘Bring the Jubilee’ was in 1997. Only used copies are offered.

I have found the best source for used and hard to find books is www.bookfinder.com, which allows searching the inventories of many book stores, including Amazon, Alibris, etc.

[stainlessbanner]

Dixie Ping

Best U.S. Civil War books - FReeper opinions sought

[Libertarianize the GOP]

For a quick view with maps of battles Grady McWiney’s “The Civil War” is good.

[stainlessbanner]

Goodwin's plagiarism

[stainlessbanner]

Grady McWhiney was a treasure - his work is fantastic.

[kalee]

Confederate Courage on Other Fields by Mark Crawford

http://www.americancivilwar.org.uk/book_confederate-courage-on-other-fields:-four-lesser-known-accounts-of-the-war-between-the-states_34.htm