April 30, 2007

Book of the Week: The Civil War: A Narrative (Vol. 1)

Possibly THE definitive work on the Civil War. This ponderous first volume in Foote's series brings to life the perspectives, personalities, and perplexities of that great American conflict. The colorful characters that made up that cast of that grand drama are painted by the author in vivid--yet well researched and accurate--colors. The conversations crackle and the battles leap off the page.

In this first book Foote does a masterful job putting together the complex and confusing pieces that formed the enormous puzzle of this tremendous conflict. The contrast between Lincoln's and Davis' personalities is clearly demonstrated--with the resultant divergences in leadership style that in turn effected the events of the entire war.

The reader feels the tenderness of Davis toward his family, the frustration of Lincoln with his generals, the angst of a divided nation, and the horror at the mass carnage of battles such as Shiloh and Antietam.

I cannot imagine anybody who is remotely interested in the Civil War who would not want to read this book.

Posted by Andrew on April 30, 2007 3:20 PM.