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Summary: Concise History of Civil War Era
Review: This is a classic work chronicaling the events leading up to and including the Civil War. While the hagglings about slavery and the Antebellum political world may seem boring at times, the reader is rewarded by persistence. Mcpherson's writing is clear and lucid, and his perpective is balanced. This is often hard to find in many of the classic works on the Civil War where bias often ruins the fine literary merit. Mcpherson provides a fast moving narrative of the war itself which may be disappointing to those seeking more detailed military descriptions. The purpose of this book is to provide a one volume history of the period, and in this respect, it succeeds most admirably. This work will serve to provide the reader a wonderful introduction to the abundance of literature on this subject. Much of that literature is redundant anyway. Those who want a concise history the Civil War can't go wrong here. The more classic works of Catton, Shelby, et al, await if the reader desires more wordy accounts.
Mcpherson gets the job done in under 1000 pages, covering the entire Antebellum period as well as the war itself. The book ends just before Lincoln's assassintation and Recontruction.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Background on Civil War
Review: I loaned this book to a friend and he was surprised at the number of statistics in it. The first third is background material, but great background material. Excellent research. Not very detailed on the battles, but the war had as much or more to do with logistics and economics. Excellent read to fill out any persons understanding of the war.
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Summary: Battle Cry of Freedom
Review: In my studies of the Civil War, this book was probably the most informative of any single volumn I have read. It gave me a better in cite to the polital trails that want on during the war. IT was a good over view of the battles and millitary leaders on both sides. ANy one who is studying the war or wants to know more about the war can not go wrong in adding this book to their labrary
Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Book on the Civil War
Review: If you are interested in the civil war this book is perhaps the best place to start. It begins with the forces that brought about the war on through to the end of the war. It is an exhaustive history on the war. I have since gone on to read other books on the war, but this is truly the best. Other books may deal with specific topics in a bit more detail, but this book covers a broad spectrum of issues and events. It gave me a real understanding about the civil war. I heartily recommend that you read it.
Rating:
Summary: A deserving prize winner
Review: A perfect one-volume history of the civil war and the events that led up to it. A must read for anyone who wants to understand how America became what it is. Moreover, it is enjoyable to read without leaving the feeling that the author is dumbing-down the material. One complaint: I thought there could have been more (and better) maps, but that's a small quibble on a great work.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive and Gripping
Review: I read this tome for my Civil War college class last Fall. Though we were only assigned to read a couple hundred pages out of it, I ended up reading almost the entire book in a couple of weeks. Most people familiar with Civil War history have seen the Ken Burns PBS series, which is entertaining and woeful. This book inspires the same feelings as the Ken Burns series: heroism, loss, epic sweep, and human drama. It's incredible that McPherson has accomplished all this in a single volume. It's not only good history, it's good reading. The best part about it is the dozens of little side-stories and little known facts that pop up all over the place. I never liked the Killer Angels, but I sure enjoyed this book.
Rating:
Summary: made me late for work
Review: I am not a civil war freak. This was the first book on the subject I read. Great book though. The book is well over 800 pages and I was reading the book on the bus, as soon as I got home, when I woke up... For weeks I was too into what was happening in the book to keep up with the 'real world'. Not my usual experience for sure. If you have any interest in American history you should like this. If you don't have any interest the Civil War, read this and you will I'd almost bet it. This book is that good and more...
Rating:
Summary: stimulating the appetite for more
Review: This book - probably the best one-volume Civil War history - is more than a simple survey: it is a very strong literary work as well, beautifully written and balanced. For all 900 or so pages, I was completely absorbed. Never once did I glumly look at the last page and calculate the percentage of the book that remained. It is the ideal starting point for anyone wishing to investigate the most disturbing episode of American history, a stepping off point that is also a pleasure to read. Afterall, what other survey histories won the Pulitzer prize? However, as a broad-brush history, I found myself quibbling with the author's choice of detail in the areas that I knew well. For example, I would have liked to see more coverage of the brutal race riots that occured in the Northern states, incidents that revealed extremely disturbing fault lines in race relations that persist to this day. By choosing to neglect this and other details, I felt that the author refrained from contemplating the deeper meaning of the war, even or providing the building blocks to do so. While interpretation is certainly not his primary task in a survey, it does get short shrift here. Nonetheless, every American should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great coverage of an American Epic
Review: This is McPherson's complete coverage of the Civil War. McPherson looks at the origins of the struggle between North and South as well as the battles fought. We see the stirrings from the U.S.'s victory in the Mexican War. McPherson also provides plenty of evidence that the South was fighting for slavery (under the rubric of "States' Rights"). This is a long tome, but offers a great understand of this country's most troubling time.
Rating:
Summary: The complete Civil War
Review: If you're only going to read one book on the Civil War make it this one. McPherson goes into great detail about the times, men and events that shaped this incredible era. Don't be concerned over the length of the book (around 900 pages)it reads as quickly as the latest pot boiler. McPherson has an amazing knack for making people and places that most people only know from history class come alive. He draws you into the era and makes you feel like you're there. This is enlightening exciting history for anyone who wants to know more about the war, the people and events that shaped America. As large as it is, I finished it in less than a week. A worthy addition to anyones book shelf.
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