Almost finished with this banger, but I'm well past the point where he discusses President Grant's Civil War involvement. What's the next book I should pick up if I want to keep learning about the Civil War?I will also admit, Ron Chernow is super educated so there was a word a page that I didn't know and had to google. The whole thing was super hard but very satisfying to read. I'll share a passage that stuck with me:>When the first barrage of Mexican cannonballs bounced toward American lines, soldiers sidestepped them easily. Then a cannonball streaked through the air near Grant, missing him but shattering the skull of an enlisted man, spattering his blood and brains on surrounding soldiers.I can't help but think of a twisted game of dodgeball where if you lose, you die. Having only heard stories of modern warfare, looks like war hasn't changed a whole lot... still horrible.
>>24769850Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War
>>24769850Actually finished that off early last month, and followed it up with Grant's Memoirs (which begin with his boyhood and conclude in 1865); Grant died 9 days after getting to that point.
>>24769850If you're looking for a shorter, still mostly Grant-centric work: Hymns of the Republic by SC Gwynne (covers the last year of the war starting when Grant was promoted to Lieutenant General and led The Army of the Potomac). If you want a comprehensive history of the whole war at a reasonable length: Battle Cry of Freedom by James MacPherson. If you really want to commit to the nitty gritty and do a deep dive on the war and almost all of its participants: The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote (truly excellent, but all three volumes total ~3000pg).Grant and Sherman also have published their collections of memoirs, but I haven't read them yet, so I can't really speak to them.
>>24770307The problem with Battle Cry (why does no one ever mention this?) is that it's a comprehensive history of the time period that begins some 30 years before the war actually begins. Because it's an Oxford History of the time period there's the feel that it skims over everything, especially the battles, so that as a specifically Civil War history it's actually quite poor. The Foote rec is good, but an as good shorter comprehensive history (that retains MacPherson's Yankee perspective) is either Bruce Caton's one-volume This Hallowed Ground, or his 3 volume Centennial History of the Civil War trilogy: The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, Never Call Retreat.
>>24769850Shelby Foote is all you need.
>>24770425>3 volume Centennial History of the Civil War trilogyGreat books. I wish that someone would reprint these in nice new editions.
>>24769850>Civil War RecommendationsVietnameseSpanishChinese
>>24771960Not the Russian?
>>24771960The only country that matters, fag. The country that gave you the internet and website you read this on.
>>24772013France?Japan?
>>24771957I actually got my set in the small book area of a vintage clothing store (back when I had a gf). I think Library of America has only published The Army of the Potomac trilogy atp, but surely the Centennial History will be available sometime over the next few years
I’m about 450 pages into this. It’s set almost entirely in Washington DC and the main focus is on Lincoln’s cabinet and all the political infighting going on behind the scenes. Plus the parade of generals. According to Vidal, Lincoln liked Grant and that’s about it. Historical fiction though so there are a couple fictional characters in the mix.
