ebooks A Short History of the Civil War by James L. Stokesbury in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Here are some quotes to illustrate why I enjoyed this book so much.By M. A. JacksonA Short History of the Civil War review; James L. Stokesbury; 1995Here are some quotes to illustrate why I enjoyed this book so much.p6."Few men so revered since their death have been so poorly regarded during their lives as Lincoln was."In discussing the Lincoln—Douglas debates "…to imagine the setting and the audience—a great crowd of men; some of whom had ridden for miles ; standing in the sun for five or six hours listening to two men standing on a platform debating; their voices unaided by artificial amplification—is to gain a great deal of respect for the intelligence and political seriousness of Americans in the mid-nineteenth century."The effect of breach-loading rifles vs. muzzle-loaders (the use of rifling alone almost tripled the range of fire) vs. repeaters. "These [repeaters] might have been put into general use; had it not been for the conservative attitude of military procurement people; their view was that to increase the firepower of the soldier would simply encourage him to waste ammunition; and would thus cause insurmountable supply problems."p153"Hooker became a synonym for a prostitute because of his [General 'Fighting Joe' Hooker's] tolerance of them in the army's trains."p301"Generals Grant and Lee were both highly extraordinary men; Lee an aristocrat to the manor born; and Grant the epitome; the archetype of the ordinary man; and no small part of the genius of each was their ability to know what their men thought; and how they felt. Leading men; especially leading them to possible death; is far more a matter of sympathy and shared feeling than it is a matter of business management; a lesson Americans have periodically forgotten at great cost."p325"One of the reasons the war occurred when it did was because Americans were involved in the process of redefining what 'government' and what 'people' meant….In 1800 'people' meant adult white males possessing certain property qualification; in 1860 it meant adult white males; after the Civil War it was supposed to mean adult males; and eventually it meant adults; at the end of the twentieth century Americans are busily redefining who is an adult; and working on the concept of family and the protection of those who are not adults."p328What happened to some of the Generals; after the war?"Ambrose Burnside died a senator; George Armstrong Custer; the boy general; died at the Little Bighorn. Joe Johnston was a pallbearer at William Tecumseh Sherman's funeral; he stood bareheaded in the rain; and died five weeks later from the chill he caught. The last of the chief Confederate generals; Longstreet; died in 1904; his young widow outlived him by fifty-eight years; and worked building bombers during the Second World War." [This last is an amazing factoid…here is a woman whose husband was a General in the Civil War who lived to help in WWII! Suddenly the Civil War does not seem so far away anymore.]3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent introductionBy Arthur DentI blundered on this book in the stacks at the local library. After an introduction to the civil war via the Shaara novels; my wife and I have been reading some histories of specific battles and some biographies of individual leaders. We felt the need for a general survey of the war to tie it all together; but we did not want to devote the time to a comprehensive history. This book filled the bill perfectly.Stokesbury has an extremely fluid and readable prose style that is simply a joy to read. I assume that his facts are reasonably accurate. To me; he seems to devote just the right amount of attention to the various battles; individuals; issues; etc.; though he leaves enough unsaid to stimulate further reading. He certainly does have his opinions; which he expresses sometimes with a delightful sarcasm. And he imparts some of the flavor of what it must have felt like to fight or have a loved one fighting in this war; which literally tore America apart in more ways than one. Tears came to my eyes as I read the details of the surrender at Appomattox; a testament both to the extreme emotions of the war; even after more than a century; and to Stokesbury's narrative powers.The only real weak point of the book for me was the maps; which are not cited in the text and do little to assist the reader in visualizing troop deployments; battle maneuvers; etc.3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Excellent overviewBy E. PayneThere are a number of one volume histories dealing with the American Civil War; but this is one of the best I've read. It consists of about 330 pages of narrative published in a very readable text design. Within this limited amount of space the author does an admirable job of covering such a sprawling topic. Descriptions of the major military campaigns are balanced with sections explaining changes that occurred in the political; economic; and social landscape. The often neglected war in the western portion of the Confederacy is well-covered. Although the historical personages who cross this bloody stage must be rendered in brief strokes; they are handled deftly enough so one gets some feeling for their characters and their roles. Author James L. Stokesbury dispenses personal observations that are at some points droll and at others fully reflective of the tragedy of the war. Certainly there are aspects of mid-19th Century American life not given full scrutiny; including slavery itself. But this is; after all; a self-described short history. I would strongly recommend "A Short History of the Civil War" as an introductory text for casual readers and students. I'd further suggest that even more serious minded researchers can benefit from reading what I find to be a model of concise; balanced; yet compelling historical narrative.