The Speedyleeway list of Civil War books

          Typically, this blogger looks for ways to reference yours truly without using the word I. Writers never want to be accused of having an ‘I’ problem. It is a challenge when writing something as potentially personal as a blog to avoid using the first person.

 

          Challenges, they say, help writers and this writer needs all the help he can get.

          So it is with an abundance of joy that I disregard the normal practice for this specific blog. I want to list my 10 favorite Civil War books.

          Before I do so, be warned that there are lots of Civil War books I have not read yet. There are a very few that I wish I had not read. There are some sitting around the house waiting to be read.

          There are no works of fiction on my list. Please feel free to put fiction on your list of Civil War faves, but my list is non-fiction works only.

          There is an Honorable Mention honoree: The Truth About Chickamauga by Archibald Gracie. The writing style makes this one difficult to read in spots, but it is a research classic. Be warned: Some experts refute some of Gracie’s conclusions.

          My list:

10. The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference. There are several editors. I use it as a reference. Pretty smart, huh?

9. National Geographic Atlas of the Civil War, Neil Kagan and Stephen G. Hyslop.

8. Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson. This is a classic among Civil War books. Everyone should read it, if for no other reason than the understanding one can glean from it about our society.

7. After the War, David Hardin. An elegant look at the lives of some of the most interesting personalities of the war’s era.

6. Mosby’s Memoirs, John. S. Mosby. Obviously the battlefield information is engaging, but his post-war career and his relationship with U.S. Grant are fascinating.

5. Stand Fast Ye Boys From Maine, Thomas A. Desjardin. Just a well-written book about the Union’s far left on Little Round Top.

4. The Chickamauga Campaign, edited by Steven E. Woodworth. This is actually a compilation of papers about Chickamauga and Chattanooga. One very interesting paper is Bull of the Woods? about James Longstreet. An outstanding essay in a group of excellent papers.

3. Decisions at Gettysburg, Matt Spruill. For me, this book stands above others written about the controversies at Gettysburg. A very enjoyable read.

First runner up: Chancellorsville, Stephen W. Sears. This book gets a wow. Obviously, the story is well told. The writing is outstanding. This is a neat, neat work on an important battle. This was a fight full of interesting characters that were important in the narrative of the war. I’ve never been to Chancellorsville, but that is not a handicap when reading this excellent book.

1, 2: Yep, a tie. I cheated. First among equals is Carol Reardon’s brilliant work, Pickett’s Charge in history and memory. The title tells you the subject matter but it can’t give you a feel for the excellence of the writing nor the fascinating way the research is presented. Read this book.

The next equal is Gettysburg: A test of courage, by Noah Andre Trudeau. Think you know Gettysburg? Read this one, which includes plenty of maps with approximate time notations. Gettysburg was the Civil War’s battle royal and Trudeau gives it the royal treatment, a tremendous work.

The statisticians among you have counted and discovered 11 books on the list of 10. That’s because I now live in Big Ten country, where there are 14 member schools. Well, the idea is the important thing, right?

Thanks for reading.