Mr. Lincoln's Army

As other reviewers have mentioned, Bruce Catton is considered to be one of the best authors to read if you are interested in the Civil War. Despite many recommendations from others I had not read any of Catton's books until now. Having just finished Mr. Lincoln's Army, I can finally understand why Mr. Catton has received so many accolades (to include the Pulitzer prize). This book is an outstanding introduction to General McClellan, and the Army he commanded.I truly enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, the writing style is excellent. This book is not boring history (facts, figures, hyposthesis, conclusion). Instead, Catton tells the interesting story of what happened to the Federal Army from the beginning of the war up until the battle of Antietam. The book reads more like a good novel, than a history text book. Having read many Civil War authors, I would put Catton in the top category.Secondly, Catton includes many observations and stories from the everyday soldier which add vivid details to events as they unfold. His description of the Battle of Antietam comes alive when he includes descriptions of what the men who fought actually saw and experienced. I learned a lot and gained new insight into many events which speaks volumes to the quality of this book, considering it was written back in the 1950s.Lastly, Catton stays focused on his topic and does not try to cover too much material. The book is about the Union Army, so he does not waste time getting into too many details about what was happening on the Confederate side. I enjoyed this perspective because Catton succesfully answers the question of why the Union Army could not defeat the Confederates early in the war, despite the great advantage of resources that it possessed.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War. Whether you are a "Civil War Buff", or just trying to find out more about this pivotal event in American history, you will enjoy this book.

Mr. Lincoln's Army tells the story of the Army of the Potomac from the beginning of the Civil War through the Battle of Antietam. The history is told from the point of view of the soldiers in the army, but it also explains the larger political and military issues that affected the country. The book is full of vivid details that help you understand how the soldiers really experienced the war and why they did what they did. If you don't know the history of the Civil War and have ever wondered why so many people are fascinated by it, this would be a great place to start. I have read a number of books about the Civil War, and was familiar with most of the general history, and I still found the book enthralling.

Bruce Catton is still the dean of American military historians and the Civil War. He tells his story with wit, verve, accuracy, and the feeling of having been there. Unfortunately, like other great American historians who have passed on, such as John R. Elting, Frederick P. Todd, H. Charles McBarron, and Anne Brown, we won't see his like again.In this marvelous first volume of his trilogy of the great, luckless, and hard-used Army of the Potomac, Catton tells the story of an army in search of a commander that can win with it. After the first botched attempt at First Bull Run, the army gets a commander who knows how to organize and train them, Goerge McClellan. What he cannot do, however, is lead them in combat. McClellan doesn't have the killer instinct of a true independent commander, nor does he have the requisite moral character to send the army into the fire, accept the losses needed to win, and be done with it. What he condemns his beloved army to is three years of defeats and heavy losses, punctuated by the few glorious moments, such as Gettysburg, where, despite the deficiencies of its many commanders, it fights on until final victory.This volume tells of the growing and training of the Army of the Potomac, the heartbreak of the Peninsular Campaign, and the thrown away opportunity at Second Bull Run. We meet famous units, such as the 5th New Hampshire, the immortal Iron Brigade of western regiments, the Irish Brigade under such regimental and brigade commanders as John Gibbon, Israel Richardson, Francis Barlow, Phil Kearney, and Grimes Davis. Grimly enduring, faithful to the Republic, stolid in the defense and gallant in the attack, the Army of the Potomac, repeatedly defeated and badly led at the army level, comes back time and again to face its foe. It is probably the worst led army in American history, but none have been more glorious in the sense that it never quit and gained enduring fame as the outfit that finally defeated Robert E. Lee. This book can stand alone, or with its two companion volumes, Glory Road and A Stillness at Appomattox. This is military history at its best. All are highly recommended.

There are so many great Civil War authors out there whose work I enjoy and admire--McPherson, Foote, Sears, and others; but Bruce Catton is, in my humble estimation, the best of all time. It amazes me how consistently interesting Catton's writing is. You would think that with all of the books that he has written on the Civil War that the inevitable overlap would cause some books to be less than fresh--but that is never the case. Above all, I enjoy Catton's writing because of the poignancy that he can convey when he describes a scene. Many a time have I been so moved while reading his books that I have had to pause to collect myself, and then I re-read the emotional scene in order to savor the enjoyment again.Read this trilogy and you will find out what I mean.

Catton describes the transformation of the Army of the Potomac from a collection of amateurs into an army of hardened veterans. He particularly brings out the "loss of innocence" at Antietam. His description of Antietam will make you shudder in horror. The fury of battle leaps off the pages as no other civil war author can do. Catton gets inside the head of Gen. McClellan and shows how he repeatedly failed to gain the crushing victory that was always just out of reach. I read the book in two sittings and could not put it down. If you can find a copy, snap it up!