New York : Vintage Books, 2012, c1956.
1st Vintage Civil War library ed.
ix, 437 p. : maps ; 21 cm.
In the 1950s and 60s Bruce Catton was recognized as the essential and most popular historian of the Civil War. He has written many volumes on those terrible years of 1861 to 1865 - such as A Stillness at Appomattox which our library also owns. Though not read as much of late, I was pleased to see this one-volume history of the Civil War reissued in 2012.
I can understand why Catton was so popular. This history is very readable and engaging and offers a great overview of the important events and battles of the Civil War. It lacks some of the more interesting social and personal perspectives that a more recent history of the war might have, but it is nonetheless a compelling read. Catton is able to present the long and complex campaigns of the Civil War in a way that is fairly easy to follow.
I would definitely recommend this book to a student looking for a good introductory narrative of the Civil War.
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