Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era / Edition 1

An Invaluable Resource for Students of American History

James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom is an epic tome that provides an in-depth view of the Civil War. He gives a detailed analysis of the battles, along with the significant political and social activities that surrounded this conflict. Because McPherson's research is scholarly (not to mention a Pulitzer Prize winning book, with an author who is the Edwards Professor of American History at Princeton) this volume is invaluable to the student of American history as a reputable research tool.

McPherson includes quotes, maps, tables and several pages of compelling Civil War photographs within the pages of his narrative. The structure McPherson uses is for the most part chronological, however, the scope of the conflict is such that chronology alone is not fully possible. There is significant overlap of time, especially as he gives full measure to the intricacies of the sectional conflict and the political scene for both sections of the country.

McPherson is easy to read and entertaining, even when tackling this comprehensive exploration of the subject of the Civil War. Not for the faint-hearted though, or for someone wanting a casual weekend read; this volume is a whopping 867 pages not including the bibliography or notes.

With an emphasis on Civil War battles, this book is an excellent resource for the student of American history, and an excellent companion to books that focus on the Social history of the same era.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Excellent one volumn treatment of the Civil War

I am a history book fan in general but have just started reading about the Civil War. I picked up Shelby Foote's 3 volumn set, but got a little bogged down and decided I needed something a little more brief. I am so glad that I picked up "Battle Cry of Freedom". It does a great job of condensing a huge amount of material into a single book. It also tells a good deal about the elements that lead up to the war itself. It does not have a tremendous amount of detail about the individual battles (it couldn't and still be in one book) but I think gives a great overall view of the war. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about this conflict.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Outstanding overview of the Civil War

This book was on my shelf for a while because I was a little intimidated by it's length, but it was well worth the time invested! This book would really be great for someone who didn't know much about the Civil War and wanted a comprehensive overview or for someone like me who has read a bunch of different stuff on the Civil War and can always use something like this to pull it all back together and put the pieces in context again.

What always amazes me when reading things like this is, given the almost mythological status that Lincoln has achieved in U.S. history, how unpopular he was with so many people at the time and how close he came to almost losing the election against McClellan in 1864. The other thing that always amazes me is how the Confederate leaders like Joe Johnston and Jefferson Davis refused to acknowledge that they were going to lose the war, even as late as December 1864-January 1865.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

This outstanding book starts at the beginning, and I don't mean secession or Fort Sumter' but the REAL beginning ... and covers all of the multitude of socio-economic and political reasons for the Civil War before ever getting into what happened between 1861-1865. If you want a have a stronger understanding of how it came to pass that we slaightered each other by the many thousands for all of those four years, and you read nothing else on the subject, you should read 'Battle Cry of Freedom'! You still probably won't completely accept that it actually had to happen, but you will have a much better handle on how and why it did take place ...

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Best Single-Volume Book about the Civil War

This the first-ever book I read about the Civil War, many years ago. McPherson captures the build-up to the conflict, the fascinating events leading to secession, and then describes each battle and the progression towards the inevitable victory of Union forces - as if McPherson actually was there, himself, and the reader feels the same. The rare gift of making historic event alive is a skill, McPherson masters. If you're a new student of the Civil War, or want to understand, what USA is made of, this is - hands down - the best single volume, you can get your hands on. Once you've read and want to 'trade up', I recommend Shelby Foote's trilogy above all, before you launch yourself into the ever-expanding sea of stunningly well-written books about each battle, or even very detailed accounts of parts of a battle, etc.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Wouldn't buy again..

Slanted to the north, very disappointed in it. Too thick for comfortable
reading. Review the author before you buy the book.

2 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Best history Ive ever read

A perfect history, a reader only needs to know the bare bones of the issues to understand McPhearson's sweaping narrative.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

OUTSTANDING!

I've read a lot of books on the Civil War but this is the best! It's an academic study that goes beyond battles; it explains motivations and how they changed as the years went on. It may be a tough book for some.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good Resource

I used this audio version of Battle Cry of Freedom in conjunction with the actual book for a Civil War course I was taking. I enjoyed being able to listen while driving. This is a great resource, but I do not recommend it in place of the book. There were definitely parts I wanted to go back and study in the book. The only drawback I found was that the audio clips did not correspond to the chapters in the book. If you are using the Overdrive Console it is no problem because it shows the chapters for you, but I was using it on my ipod and it was difficult to find a certain chapter or part. Besides that it was great!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

glad i read it

loved this book. enjoyed the details and made me feel like i was there. go ahead and pick this book up if you like civil war and be happy.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

great book even for a stranger

though this is a large volume it is very readable the book combines military with political history and weaves them together for a most readable story mcpherson has his moral stands and they permeate through the book which is fine with me though i am a stranger from a farway land i found the book most interesting

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Totally addresses the issue like no other single book.

This outstanding book starts at the beginning 'and I don't mean secession or Fort Sumter' but the real beginning ... and covers all of the multitude of socio-economic and political reasons for the Civil War before ever getting into what happened between 1861-1865. If you want a have a stronger understanding of how it came to pass that we slaightered each other by the many thousands for all of those four years, and you read nothing else on the subject, you should read 'Battle Cry of Freedon'! You still probably won't completely accept that it actually had to happen, but you will have a much better handle on how and why it did take place ...

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Well Written and Detailed

McPherson does an excellent explaining not only the War in and of itself, but also the circumstances leading up to and surrounding it. For instance, he delves into detail about the economic abilities of the Union and Confederacy to finance the war but also spends time describing the causes which impelled Britain to withhold her recongnition of the Confederacy. On the other hand, some of this detail gets in the way of telling the Civil War story. Also, McPherson's accounts of certain battles during the war, such as Stonewall Jacksons campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, are hard to understand and follow. Nonetheless, the author's account of most battles, the progress of the war and consequences of each battle both politically and militarily are beyond reproach. Professor McPherson also does a great job keeping the book alive and interesting, as opposed to allowing it to fall into a regurgitation of statistics and men that so many Civil War books have become

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

One of, if not the best book on this historic era.

A valuable lesson on our nation's history. This book talks about facts that other books I've had failed to bring out. The great introduction for the cause of this war is indepth and keeps your attention. The description of the political and civil climate allows the reader to "be there in that era". I recently visited Gettysburg and this book was in all the stores. I now have a true understanding of why this terrible war happened. A must read for a history buff or anyone who loves a great read.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The best yet

This is the best civil war book I have ever read-out of perhaps a hundred. I particularly found fascinating the information about the events of the early 1800's that led up to the civil war. The narrative about the war itself is not just a rehash of "this general did this and the other did that". The author writes with clear and thorough insight into the politics on both sides, both before and during the war. If you ever wanted to understand the "big picture" about the civil war, this is it!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Awesome Book on the Civil War

Not only is this a great book on the Civil War but is probably the best history book I've ever read. It goes into many aspects of the war, i.e. the political, the social, the military, etc. Because of this you get a broad based understanding of the war and its causes. The author strenuously attempts to be objective and when controversial so called facts come up, he usually presents several of the viewpoints instead of just his own. If you want to read just one book on the Civil War, this is a great choice.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing Accuracy

McPherson knows how to get the details to you. His portrayal of the information is always first rate.

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read all of the Oxford Hi

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read all of the Oxford History of the United States. Several volumes are highly regarded, so I started with them in chronological order. I found the first three of the series marvelous, particularly Robert Middlekauf's The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789.

In my last semester as a senior at Ball State University, the last final I took and called it a wrap was a Civil War class. The class used James McPherson's Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction. I thought that McPherson book well written and excellent.

Battle Cry of Freedom covers much of the same ground, though it is more narrowly focused--primarily by leaving out Reconstruction, which will be covered in as yet unpublished volume in the series.

This book is a straight-up history, though McPherson brings to bear a formidable knowledge and insight. Readable, the book's narrative arc is necessarily framed by the war itself, though McPherson takes pains to discuss the transformations occurring in America even then. Still, very little is said of the west.

The principle actors are treated with a measured response, and McPherson refuses to take the simple view of commanders and leaders. If you don't like your history full of descriptions of campaigns and battles, this book is not for you. If you are a Civil War buff, then this book deserves a place on your shelf for a larger narrative, though I doubt it will satisfy in technical and detailed information that more focused texts will bring.

I do praise McPherson though for holding firm to the cause of the Civil War. Many like to equivocate that the Civil War was fought over state's rights versus federal rights. In the larger picture this is a true statement, but this attempts to obfuscate the issue that the Civil War was about a state's right to retain slavery. The years building up the war witnessed continuing and bitter battles to ensure that representation in Congress (particularly the Senate) maintained an equal number of Senators from slave-holding states and from non-slave-holding states. Eventually, the center could not hold and war ensued. The southern states rebelled against the Union so that it could preserve a state's right to continue slavery. McPherson keeps this clear.

Well written with plenty of detail while maintaining a strong narrative, McPherson's book is an excellent read for a general overview of the Civil War.

G

Great book! For thanksgiving I am writing a play on the Battle of Manassas ( or Bull Run). I got lots of great information out of this book!

Only my third. .

This is only the third book I have read about the Civil War. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an over view of the war. McPherson and his approach were great. He started off the book detailing the political atmosphere a decade before the war started all the way through it and some after. I learned many things I have never known. My only negative remark concerning this book would be how the author did jump around, telling about things to come and explaining them before they ever happened and then going back to the topic he was originally on. While at times this was distracting, it overall didn't diminish from what I learned or how much I enjoyed the book.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.