The Civil War: 7a History

After watching a recent history channel show, I realized how little I remembered of the civil war from school 40 years ago. Wanting to learn more I read several books and found this one to be the best for a concise coverage of the war. However the type in the $8.95 version is horrible. It goes from dark, thick and blurry, to thin and light. The margins and spacings vary and letters get dropped or partially cut off. I did see a larger paperback edition after I bought this one. It was almost twice the price, but probably worth it. If your looking for one book on the civil war, Hansen's is definitely the one to get.

This concise history book, on the American civil war, is an excellent introduction on the topic.If you have enjoyed reading,'Nicholas and Alexandra'(1960),by Robert K. Massie,then you will be quite pleased with this book also.It has the same intelligible writing style that flows and brings the reader along for the swift adventure.Hansen's Flaubert-like literary style brings the events to life far above what Bruce Catton has done.Catton's worthy writings focuses more on the epic battles' time-line events and factual data rather than the personal stories however.Anyone who is interested in understanding the current political workings of American government today ,should start with this primer book.The congressional and contragressional actions of our government can be better understood ,by studying the civil war.Then later move forward to the writings of the late Shelby (Early) Foote.Foote is a direct descendent of an Irish confederate general and he has written many extensive volumes on the fascinating subject.

If you only have time for one book on the Civil War, you ought to consider this. I thought when I picked it up that it might be rather plodding and just a recount of 'Grant moved here and Lee counterattacked'. I was wrong. The book sucks you in right away with the reasons and legislature behind the Civil War, like the Missouri Compromise, the Dred Scott decision, etc. How Lincoln fought Steven Douglas for the Senate seat in Illinois and lost, then won the election to become President. There is a wide range of speeches and comments by Lincoln. The old chesnuts of 'A House Divided' speech, plus some less well-known quips about generals. This is a great one-volume instroduction. I have found myself ripping through it eager to read more. It is not just about the Civil War, but it lays the foundation for what will come in the ensuing years as war breaks out and both sides jockey for supremacy. I hadn't really read anything on the Civil War since high school, so this makes a welcome refresher and a book that makes you stop and think 'hey, I never knew that' and has an engaging and fluid writing style most readers will welcome.

Harry Hansen's book was the first I read on the Civil War and it sparked me to read more. The battle descriptions are some of the best I have ever read, especially Hansen's handling of Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. This book takes you into the minds of the generals and common soldiers who waged the war and explains their actions in a clear and concise way. Not overly wordy, but having enough description to keep it interesting, this book is perfect for anyone who is just getting started on the Civil War, as it also digs into the political, social, and historical influences that caused the war. Another great feature is that the book is not biased towards either of the contingents, and gives a straight report without overly critizing either side. All in all, an excellent book that I highly reccommend to anyone with an interest in the conflict