Infinitely readable and absorbing; Bruce Catton’s The Civil War is one of the most widely read general histories of the war available in a single volume. Introduced by the critically acclaimed Civil War historian James M. McPherson; The Civil War vividly traces one of the most moving chapters in American history; from the early division between the North and the South to the final surrender of Confederate troops. Catton's account of battles is a must-read for anyone interested in the war that divided America; carefully weaving details about the political activities of the Union and Confederate armies and diplomatic efforts overseas.
#278837 in Books Mike Dash 2003-05-27 2003-05-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.97 x 1.10 x 5.17l; 1.20 #File Name: 0609807161512 pagesBatavia s Graveyard The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History s Bloodiest Mutiny
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. An Enlightening True Tale of a Little Known Period of European HistoryBy Stephen HartThis book is a surprising gem; bringing to life a period of history which not many contemporary authors have paid much attention to.The life and times of the Dutch during the zenith of their influence and power in the 16th century as the premier commercial traders of the world is described in the context of a truly horrible story of mutiny; madness and slaughter.Dash describes life aboard a Dutch sailing vessel of the period at a time in which little was known about nautical navigation. Life and physical accommodations aboard ship itself were a nightmare to all but the wealthiest travelers .Based on extensive research; including ship's logs; the Dutch Trading Company's (VOC) records; memoirs and letters of several principals involved and even anthropological evidence unearthed in the 1960's and 70's; one is swept into a fascinating look at how a voyage of commerce to the East Indies ended in shipwreck; followed by the breakdown of civil behavior among the survivors and leading to the murders of dozens of innocent people for no reason other than to satisfy the blood lust of the leader of a relatively (at first) small number of mutineers.That any of the crew and passengers survived; marooned on a small coral atoll in the East Indian Sea is astonishing. The subsequent rescue of survivors and punishment of those guilty for the slaughter provides a fitting end to this well written sea tale.To readers interested in expanding their knowledge of world History I heartily recommend this book. You won't regret it.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Unbelievable true account of horrorBy BookmanHorror on the seas. Never has there been a more unbelievable tale of men turning into animals. This book should be taught in schools; studied by professionals; etc. It's hard to describe without spoilers. Let's just say one man leads many to do a great deal of evil. Like Hitler on a tiny island in the ocean. It wasn't enjoyable to read; but it was so fascinating I had to keep reading. You have to keep going just to find out what happens! I gave the book to my father and he devoured it quickly as well. After reading this; I tried to read another shipwreck story with mutiny involved; and it paled in comparison to the point where I couldnt even read it. This book will cast a large shadow over all other mutiny books; and turn the volume down on them. Beware!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Liked it much more than expected. Love the Audio CD.By SteveI love true accounts of historical events; and this book was recommended to me by a friend as being "right up my alley". I was skeptical; as I typically don't find myself as interested in events from this era.That being said; I thoroughly enjoyed reading (or listening to; in my case) this book. It was a fascinating story.The audio cd is good; easy to rip them and put them on my podcast player on my phone.
