"Book Recommendation " Topic

Something I have noticed about the ACW is the bewildering numbers of books out there .

I was looking for a book to read over Christmas ideally not to heavy . I am OK for uniform books in fact the more uniform books I tend to get the more confused I become especially on the confederacy.

So I am just looking for a decent book that has a decent read perhaps 1863 onwards and is set in the East that I can get in the UK.

thanks guys

McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" is the classic overview of the war, and can be had for fairly cheap here:

link

Or are you looking for a book on a specific campaign or battle?

No nothing too specific . Just looking for a good read over Christmas

Thanks for that recommendation

If you enjoy a bit of historical fiction, "The Killer Angels" is a good read, and does a good job of capturing the Civil War from the eyes of its participants.

Also, while not really a traditional book, I never get tired of Griffith's "Battle in the Civil War":

link

It's presented almost as a graphic novel, with each two-page spread a different topic, but from the wargaming perspective it's one of the most informative books on the war I own. Don't let the style fool you – it's well worth the read.

I can see this leading to a big long Christmas Shopping list:)

Thanks guys so far so good

Bruce Catton. More about him here: link For looking for his books:
link
(almost 6400 hits !).

Gordon Rhea's books on the Overland Campaign? Brilliantly researched and written, but easy to read.

A Stillness at Appomattox by Bruce Catton. _THE_ best book on the later part of the CW in the East and a SUPERB read. You will wonder why you haven't read it years ago. If you don't like it I will be shocked.

While it is i) early war and ii) a novel, Confederates by Thomas Keneally (who is, interestingly, Australian) is a great read about an infantry squad in the Stonewall Brigade

Frank O'Reilly's "The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock" is probably the best book on the subject out there.

Here is one I HIGHLY recommend. It is also a very enjoyable and fascinating read.

"FACES OF THE CIVIL WAR – AN ALBUM of UNION SOLDIERS AND THIER STORIES".
Each story is only 2 to 3 pages in length. Each story also includes a black and white photo or carte de visite of the subject. You learn what regiment the soldier served in, his rank, whether he lived or died. If he lived, what happened to him after the war. Makes the war very personal. Here is the url from Amazon:
link

Picketts charge by stewart.

"Seen the Glory " by Hough

I used to use "Killer Angels" as a basic required book in my Civil War courses. It is obvious why it won the Pulitzer Prize.

It also conveys a central meaning of the Civil War to modern readers: how similar the people of that time were to us, and how different.

Can't go wrong with Bruce Catton's Civil War trilogy. Highly recommended. For a more concise book his "The Civil War" was one of the two college text books recquired in the ACW class I took as a young history major.

The other was T. Harry William's excellent "Lincoln and His Generals." It's a good read too.

Thanks very much guys . You have given me a very long list of books to look at .
Just got the difficult job of narrowing it down to one or two books to buy for Christmas. The rest I will probably look at again in the future .
Just going to order the book case !

Thanks again

I got my feet wet reading A Gleam of Bayonets about the Antietam campaign. Couldn't put it down. If you can't get that Landscape Turned Red is a page turner too. Agree with the writers above about Killer Angels which covers Gettysburg. Two of the most pivotal battles in the east.

I've enjoyed a number of books written for the Emerging Cival War Series. The battle of Fredericksburg really changed my conception about what happened. I think they're worth a look.

Rhea's books are also on my list to read.

Thanks Mate.
Added those to the list as well !

Hi. Thought I'd add, I liked Landscape Turned Red so much I went right out and got the authors other books about Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Possibly Lee's greatest victory followed by his greatest defeat. Both in 1863 and in the east.
Cheers!

Yes that book does tick the boxes as this is the year I am basing my forces on.

Thank you

1.) "Rags and Hope" by Val Giles. Giles served as an enlisted man in the 4th Texas. GREAT read and lots of little details about life in the ranks.

2.) "Soldiering" By Rice C. Bull. Bull was a sergeant in the 123rd NY Infantry. His regiment served in both theaters, and Bull has a tremendous eye for minutia. Again, a great read.

3.) "Hard Marching Every Day". By Wilbur Fisk, an enlisted man with the 3rd Vermont. Like Bull above, great details and easy read.

4.) "The Rebel Yell & The Yankee Hurrah!" by John Haley. Fascinating memoir by an enlisted man of the 17th Maine.

Those 4 top my list, but there are many more I can recommend if you like. Just PM me.

V/R

Many thanks I think I have quite a lot now to look at. The hardest part now is in deciding which book(s) to go for .