The Civil War: A Narrative (Hardcover; 3 Vol. Gift Set) A stunning literary and historical achievement; the three volumes of Shelby Foote’s THE CIVIL WAR vividly bring to life the four years of torment and strife that altered American life forever. Presented in a handsome boxed set; these three beautifully bound hardcovers are an essential addition to every American history collection. Taking the reader from the drama of Jefferson Davis’s resignation from the United States Senate and Abraham Lincoln’s arrival in the nation’s capital to Davis’s final flight and capture and Lincoln’s tragic death; Foote covers his subject with astonishing depth and scope. Every battle; every general; and every statesman has its place in this monumental narrative; told in lively prose that captures the sights; smells; and sounds of the conflict. Never before have the great battles and personalities of the Civil War been so excitingly presented; and never before has the story been told so completely. With a novelist’s gift for narrative and a historian’s commitment to research; Shelby Foote’s epic retelling is the definitive account of the Civil War; a trilogy that has earned a place of honor on the bookshelves of all Americans.
#1027889 in Books 2008-05-06 2008-05-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .80 x 5.30l; .59 #File Name: 0307236560354 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Sturdy; Fine; though to a degree bias; reporting of the great Voyage of the C.S.S. ShenandoahBy J. G. LewisThis is a broadly entertaining; quite informative; accounting of the voyage of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah. I enjoyed the detail; and his constant referencing of Executive Officer Whittle's account... As compared to the nearly coterminous "Sea of Grey" by Tom Chaffin; I thought "Last Flag down" to possibly be more detailed in certain interesting respects; such as with disputes among officers; how frequently 'tricing' was used as punishment; and a slightly better description of the ship. Mr. Chaffin was very good with the report of the battles. This book being better on the internecine struggles on board; therefore; whereas Chaffin more so concentrated on the conquests. They are both fine books. I was slightly disappointed in "Last Flag ..." by the authors always wanting so seem to favor and side with the view of 1st Officer Whittle. Indeed; this work can be seen as an accounting of the Shenandoah as well as a semi-biographical sketch-cum-tribute to William Whittle. And so personally; I would have rather preferred a more so even-handed description of the events and travel. Yet it was well done.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. BIAS POOR RESEARCHBy Rod NewmanThis book has been written with very little research other than reading the self-serving journal of William Whittle. A check of the bibliography reveals only second-hand accounts from other books - not primary sources like officers' journals and the Official Records. The ship's captain wrote a memoir of the cruise; but only the edited 1960 version has been referred to - and there are numerous differences between the two The authors did not know the difference between Marine Sergeant George Canning and troublemaker Henry Canning; confusing the two; saying the Marine Sergeant was triced up by Whittle. What kind of research is this? And they take Whittle's word for everything without any attempt to look at situations from the captain's point of view. Whittle was; in fact; a whinging young officer who could not accept the authority of his far more experienced commander who; in the end; saw them through; despite being blackmailed by Master's Mate Cornelius Hunt over a liaison in Melbourne with former captive Lillias Nichols; as has been revealed in the recent book; "The Last Confederate Ship at Sea;" a much better read.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The Confederacy Adrift: Everything Ventured; Nothing Gained;By Dr.Charles DusenburyShiloh; Antietam; Gettysburg; Liverpool. Liverpool? I've read a fair amount about the Civil War; but this episode of foreign intrigue is one I had never heard of. With many British merchants; especially in the cotton trade wishing to continue trading with southern states and the humiliation of the War of 1812 still rankling many in power; a chance to finance a Confederate privateer was a tempting prospect.The authors reveal the James Bondian intrigues and daring that lead to the secret building and launching of one of the swiftest ships known out of the quays of Liverpool. The CSS Shenandoah secretly sets to sea and begins; as the book cover declares; "The epic journey of the last Confederate warship".With its sleek lines; fast sail rigging and an ingenious retractable steam powered propeller and tilt-down smoke stake; the Shenandoah became the scourge of Yankee shipping and whaling from the Antarctic to the Arctic. One problem though. She was launched just a few months prior to Appomattox. What with near nonexistent communications and all; the bulk of her multitudinous conquests were made after the Confederacy no longer existed!Based primarily on the logs and diary of the first mate; the reader gets a real feel of honor; pride and sacrifice that ultimately drove the Confederacy quite literally into the sea and into the pages of history.This reviewer at times became as board as the crew itself during the lengthy and repeated documentation of the tedium of the days; weeks and six months spent at sea; The reader is advised to steam ahead when the doldrums of repetition set in until a fresh breeze fills the sails of exciting narrative. Staying aboard this book until the land of the final port hoves into view; the reader will be well rewarded with the knowledge of a unique footnote to this nation's great struggle to define itself.
