Oxford [U.K.] ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2003, c1988.
xix, 909 p. : ill., maps, music ; 24 cm.
If you are looking for a one volume history of the Civil War instead of reading five or six separate Civil War histories, then you can't go wrong with McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom. It's a masterful handling of the war that ripped the US apart for four extremely bloody years. Given the quality and clarity of the narrative, I'm not surprised that the book was a huge bestseller and won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for History.
McPherson begins his book with the US-Mexican War and builds a sound case for considering enslavement (and the unyielding defense of slavery's expansion and power) as the ultimate cause and fight of the war. McPherson also gives great attention to the cultural and political movements involved before, during and immediately after the Civil War.
It's not a short book (about 900 pages), but it is well written and illustrated with interesting photos and a number of very clear maps.
I read this book this summer as a prelude to reading the Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant. It was a really helpful preparation for Grant's long work. I would highly recommend it.
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