"American Heritage The Civil War" Topic

Ok, admit it.

Catton, Foote, McPherson, Nevin, whatever how many of you still have a soft spot for the one Volume American Heritage History of the Civil War with all those great battlefield drawings that look like a war game table.

so much so that I made an effort to track down a copy several years ago to add to my library. I literally spent hours and hours pouring over those maps.

I may still have a copy somewhere. I spent a lot of time looking at the series when I was a kid.

Oh, hell yes. I was 10 when it came out. It was a huge hit with one of my brothers and me.

Brilliant stuff! I loved that book! Computer Game Designer Sid Meier loved it so much, he made two video games based on the drawings. Some of the best computer wargames EVER!

Very Much, loved it as a kid!
- found a copy at Historicon this summer for my library!

MG

One of my all time favs.

I also received this when I was 10. It is one of my most treasured books.

I studied every inch of those battlefield drawings as a kid, still have a copy of the book today. Some have tried to copy that art, but never succeeded to that quality.

I still have mine. And I agree with Ottoathome. Its like looking at a wargames table. The terrain is great.

Still have mine too and yes it was one of the things that gently pushed me (didn't take much) into history and wargaming.

I have a copy. Loved it when I was a kid.

still have my childhood copy.

I have a copy in my collection, purchased it at a used book store and was glad to find it. This was one of my favorite books as a kid.

Still my FAVORITE!!! David Greenspan is the artist that started just about all of my artistic endeavors! Including, moving on to mini's eventually. And I give him credit here:
link
Peter

Amazingly enough, I just picked up the complete volume at a flea market for a buck.
Wow! What great maps!!

I wish that there was an AWI companion.

I was able to pick up a very used copy in Prague of all places. I overpaid like hell for it, but nostalgia is often expensive.

Yep I know where my copy is

I use to check this book out in Jr high and High school, my name was one after the other – loved that book!

When I became a man and married I found a copy and added it to my library, I look at the book to this day.

I had no idea others loved it also – very cool.

The kid in me :)

Warlord, We're ALL kids!

I loved that as a kid! Still have fond memories of it.

I love that book!

So much so, that when a new colleague at work described his ignorance of the book, I immediately found a used copy and bought it. Since he has twin boys (age 8), I wrapped it up and packaged it with hundreds (thousands? I didn't want to count) of old Airfix Civil War figures that were getting old and starting to show their age. I gave them all to his sons as a house warming gift after they moved into the area. They liked the combination, though his wife may hate me forever.

Ceterman, I believe you are right – seems we all share the love of this book at heart!

I wish that there was an AWI companion.

@nevinsrip, there was one similar by the National Geographic Society "The Revolutionary War by Bart McDowell"

It has maps like the ACW one but they were by a different artist – Richard Schlecht. I got it also :)

I love it too! First saw it when a kid, and got a copy when an adult (or should I say "adult"?)

Jeff

My elementary school had a copy, and my friends and I would spend a lot of our free time in class looking at the pictures together. I was very happy to pick up my own copy years later at a library book sale!

My copy is high up on my bookshelves since my G'son
began exploring the books…

If you can't find the original American Heritage one volume history….you can still get the David Greenspan maps in the American Heritage 1995 "Battle Maps of the Civil War"

link

Yep, that helped deepen my fascination with military history. I'd pour over those maps and set up Airfix figures trying to do what the maps showed.

I also have the American Rev version. Good stuff!

I have a copy in my library!

Wow, I have never heard of this book. Any chance someone might photocopy an example of the maps? Sounds like something I would like to have in my collection.

Email me a picture if you would to
andersintl at
aol dot com

Thanks,

Matthew

45th:

My father bought me a copy from our local John Menzies cost 32sand6d – a lot of money for a book back in the day.

I have the Battle Maps book, and my dad has the two volume set of the American Heritage Civil War in the slipcase edition. I need to pick those up the next time I see him.

I truly believe those maps, plus family road trips to such battlefields, fueled my desire to find and collect miniature soldiers beyond the drugstore plastic troops.

The book that made me a miniature wargamer.

Ah, the "American Heritage" version of the war. Every bit as accurate as the "Confederate Heritage" version…..

Dear 45th Divison

I believe that "Twice Sold Tales" in Farmington Maine (you can look it up on the net) has a copy on its shelves. This is a great store and if you ever get up there it's worth the trip. It's a big old store with the walls and floor lined with close spaced shelves of 2nd hand books. I am almost certain I saw a copy on the shelves of the Civil War Section.

I've underestimated in my memory how influential that book was. It's why we did ACW with any gusto at all.

I still have my copy thought it's pretty beat up from use and many moves.

It's an excellent publication in an outstanding series of books on military history.

I've had my copy since Christmas 1963.

It's the first place that I recommend people go to start any study on the Civil War.

And the narrative was written by Bruce Catton.

The original:

link

2001 update:

link

The AWI volume:

link

45th--As Maine is kinda far to go for a used copy,might I suggest the Fairfax Library book sale? You're likely to find one edition or another. I just recently picked up a copy of the AWI volume for 2 bucks. Amazon lists all of these pretty cheaply.

7th grade school library for me,too, with guys hanging over my shoulders as we stared at the maps,following the action.

Then I discovered the Airfix boxes. . .

Ah, the "American Heritage" version of the war. Every bit as accurate as the "Confederate Heritage" version…..

Perhaps you could point out some of the inaccuracies for us?

Better than that, how about writing your own book on the war or on McClellan. You could begin the first chapter by writing 'Once upon a time…'

+1 Brechtel198

Is this the same book or no? link

Dear Soreny222

Looks like it. The publishing date and publisher and title is correct.

As for Maine-- they have internet so you should be able to verify it.

I have three copies, including the one I got as a kid during the centennial. I spent hours poring over those battle drawings and recreating the battles with my Airfix troops.

American Heritage accounts for my lifetime of wargaming.

I had a book called the American Heritage Golden Book of the Civil War which contained maps like the one Saber6 posted. I believe it came out around 1960-61.

There is also an updated version revised by James McPherson. It is also worth having and it has quite a few different illustrations than the original.

I want to point out something which was the original intent of the post.

Virtually every one of you who responded remembered staring at those map/pictures for hours and how formative it was for you in war games, whether you went on to be a Civil War Gamer or not. it was literally a joy, wasn't it and you thrilled with the sense of wonder and imagination.

Indeed Ceterman put it best when he said "We're All Kids."

No body picks it apart, no one declares it "dated" and only a few have found it necessary to sound a sour note on this thread.

My point is that all of you remember the pure joy of war gaming in it and through it, and that's important. In a sister thread I asked for your preference for Foote or Catton. It does not matter WHICH you liked, both are excellent and it doesn't matter which is "dated" or "biased." In your opinion. The purpose of the work of both is to explain to you "The Civil War" and if you understood "The Civil War" by reading them, then the work was successful.

It would be perfectly correct for some ankle-biter to say that "The American Heritage Book" is a "kids book" and not to be classified in the same leage as the other two.

I would agree-- almost.

But if you read the American Heritage Book you would KNOW what the Civil War was all about, and from that standpoint and for younger readers, that is all that is required. Catton or Foote, or the American heritage, you would be in good hands and you would know the period. Personal likes and dislikes are of course your own, but if this person likes Catton, and that peson likes Foote, and a third remembers the glorious hours pouring over those pictures is of completely no matter as far as historical literacy is concerned or personal taste.

Telling the tale of the Civil War from a Southern Slant is NOT the same as writing a Holocoust Deniers book. There have been plenty of works from a hyperventilating Northern View. Most of them happily forgotten along with their extreme counterparts.

As we have shown on this list which has had some of the most contentious people on TMP all ranked on the same side, we are and CAN be united in a love of the hobby and the game, or the pageantry and the ROMANCE of the period and the game, and that it unites us far more than it divides us.

The American heritage book, with its matchless images of battles in real motion (even though atatic) far exceeds the ability to portray war with mere blocks and arrows on a map. Further it portrays it in a way that appeals to the senses the imagination. How many of you have scried the American Heritage Book carefully for the little vignettes the artist crammed into the corners of the pages, away from the main action. The generals gesticulating, dashing staff officers dashing up with messages, a few lone figures skirmishing here and there, wagons with foaming steeds racing to get to the front. All of them have a terribly "you are there" quality such that you can almost hear the guns. What the pictures portray or are similar to are those cycloramas, which if you have ever been in one, are far more impressive than if you have never been in one.

This book as are others, as are all books are our link to the past and regardless of "interpretation" all of them BRING US THERE. All of them enable us to know what it was all about and even visualize it.

What more do you want from a book?

Therefore take joy in the work that you enjoy which is enjoyed by others too, and look for those instances of common excitement and enjoyment of enthusiasm and excitement, rather than like dyspeptic academics tear apart others works and opinions simply because they are not your own.

War games are the most joyous hobby. Make it so.

Hear! Hear!

Very well said, Otto.

Oh yes, I did and still do love them.

Otto: I rise to second your remarks.