Customer Reviews

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States)

5 star:		(198)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

make it this one.

I read this book after having read two other books on the Battle of Gettysburg. I found that I wanted to know more about the circumstances surrounding that battle, the situation of the two armies, the generals, the politicians, and the state of the economies of the two sides engaged. But I was daunted by the plethora of information on the American Civil War. I had no desire to immerse myself in some three or four volume 2000-page work because, aside from believing myself unable to keep everything in perspective and not to get bogged down in minutiae, I reasoned that plain laziness and attention span problems would keep me from ever finishing anything like that. Plus I had to admit that it was the battles that interested me the most, and I despaired of having to read a separate book or two on each of the dozens of battles that are considered "major" during those four years.

Then I found this book: a single volume that encompasses the entire conflict from its military and political antecedents to the economic and sociological ingredients that forced the Union to enter into a war that would change forever the face of democracy. And this book did not give short shrift to the battles. To the contrary, the battles remain central and are accompanied by helpful maps.

I took a chance on this book and now that I have finished it I have to say that it is all that I could have hoped for.

Battle Cry of Freedom does what would appear to be the impossible: it includes virtually everything of consequence about the war and continues to hold the reader's interest. There are periods, especially when delving into some of the voting and politicking, the changes of party affiliations, voting data, etc., that get somewhat tedious. But if the reader is willing to work his way through these chapters he finds that he will come out the wiser, and that the next chapter, perhaps one on the next military campaign, will be better understood in itself because the larger context has been appreciated.

How James McPherson (no relation to the Union general of that name) was able to do this is nothing short of astonishing, a kind of scholarly and artistic legerdemain that allows so much to be packed into so short a space. If you want to know as much as your head can comfortably hold, and you do not want to read an entire shelf of your local library to do it, then this book is a must. My wife and I read large portions of this book out loud to one another (heartily recommended) and had our own discussions about it. We also read, concurrently, a shorter book, "Decisive Battles of the Civil War" as a companion piece to get another concise overview of the military engagements themselves.

McPherson has a definite Northern bias, but he is always fair about giving the other side its time in court. It is, after all, the North that won, and our country is what it is today because of that. The South's many disadvantages were built into its culture and ideology. Nonetheless, we intend to read Shelby Foote's three volumes to get a Southern perspective. I would not have had the gumption to go further if McPerson had not made the whole terrible period more understandable in the first place.

Do not be afraid to take the plunge.

EKW

As a British reader, McPherson's book was an introduction to Civil War history for the purposes of coursework, and I found it superb.

The initial three hundred pages provide a sweeping overview of the social and political pressures that led to war. There is then a hundred or so pages that vividly paints the attitudes of a nation faced with war, and finally the military narrative kicks in.

McPherson writes with exceptional poise, balancing the chronological and thematic threads of his work to near perfection. Events in the west, east and political spheres of the war are detailed with the intricate interconnections intact due to excellent arrangement. This narrative is well scattered with analysis and presentation of different viewpoints, as well as sections of broad thematic interest eg. POW camps. There are more than enough quotations, both from primary and secondary sources.

As for bias, I happened to think the bravery of the Southern soldiers, and the pride of the Southern people, came across well. Some reviewer's comments lead me to believe they had read a different book to me!

"nothern soldiers...had no love for slavery. They fought for the Union and against treason...whilst some Yanks treated contrabrands with a degree of equity...the more typical response was indifference, contempt or cruelty."

The reader is constantly reminded of the vein of racism of Northern society, ranging from the poorest immigrant fearing for his job, to the Democrat politicians who persisted in playing the 'race' card until the very end. The leftward shift of Lincoln is also noted. As for Southern motives:

"slavery and independence were each a means as well as an end in symbiotic relationship with each other, each essential for the survival of both"

In no way does McPherson cite slavery as the lone cause, he (sensibly) notes that it was the clash (via all the issues eg. Kansas, California, Dred Scoott which he details in the early chapters) that was at the centre of the "perceived nothern threat" to "preserve (the South's) vision of the republic of the founding fathers - a government of limited powers that protected the rights of property."

The most I would concede that he could perhaps hammer home the state rights point a tiny bit more, but I cannot credit that he paints a polarised picture as suggested by some other reviews. In fact, some of the counter-arguments look to me as though they have been lifted straight from 'Battle-Cry of Freedom's text!

My only (minor) complaint was that the epilogue, an analytical overview, was so useful and interesting it should have been a lot longer!

This is one of the best historical works I have ever read and was supremely useful to me.

McPherson has done an extraordinary job of presenting the history of a complex time period, the Civil War era (including the events leading up to the war). While literally tens of thousands of books have been written on this subject, "Battle Cry of Freedom" is unsurpassed in its ability to clearly explain the best current understanding of what took place, in language that will captivate the reader, covering all aspects of the times in just the right amount of detail. The author strikes a careful balance, treating all sides in the conflict honestly and perceptively. The quality of the research that underlies this book is impeccable.

This would be the one single book I would recommend most strongly to anyone who wanted to learn about the events leading up to the war as well as the war itself. It is easily understandable by the novice, yet also quite worthy of reading even by one who is already an expert on the history of this period. If you could read only one book on American history, this should be it!

This book is colossal, in size and scope, in depth and breadth, in text and tincture. James McPherson touches on all aspects of the Civil War all within 862 pages. I know what you maybe thinking to yourself..."This isn't a casual read," or maybe, "History can be pretty dry especially 862 pages worth." Ease your foreboding thoughts though; McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" keeps you engaged with interesting detail, personalities, and cause and effect without ever becoming bogged down. It's just good writing anyway you look at it.

Once upon a time I developed quite an appetite for all things Civil War. McPherson whetted that appetite in one book. To learn as much would have taken a small library. If you read this along with Michael Shaara's Killer Angels, you too will be well on your way to Civil War buff-dom-ship. Good read.

James McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" is the best work on the politics of The Civil War available. For example, McPherson spends nearly the first three hundred pages of the book on the events, political and otherwise, leading up to the firing on Fort Sumter. As a result, his book gives the war a proper context that is lacking in many other works. His descriptions of the battles themselves tend to be brief overviews rather than extensive studies. But there are countless other volumes by other authors available for those whose interest primarily lies with the shooting war itself. McPherson would rather focus on why the North ans South decided to fight it out and once they did, how the war evolved slowly from an attempt to put down an insurrection to a holy quest to end slavery.

No other period in American History has seen as many political changes of earthquake proportions as The Civil War. This fact often gets lost in the tales of epic battles, almost mythical generals and incredible sacrifice. What McPherson has done is place the great painting of the war in a proper frame to give one the whole picture. As such, it is vital reaading for anyone interested in the War and its effect on American History.

Because of his two great trilogies, Bruce Catton has been my favorite Civil War historian. Along with Foote and Nevins, multi-volume works have set the standard for excellence in histories of the great conflict between the states. James McPherson's one volume history has joined these others as a great classic in Civil War literature. True, Catton authored "This Hallowed Ground." but the multi-volume works are what made him the great historian he was. McPherson joined the ranks of greatness in just one magnificent volume. He covers so much within just two covers. The first 250 pages or so covers the coming of the war....prior to Ft. Sumter. There is less military history than in other classics because he ao wonderfully covers social and political history of the era. Nonetheless, there is sufficient military history to make the work comprehensive. However, I recommend a Catton trilogy (out of print thus you must purchase second hand) or Foote, in conjunction with McPherson, to get a full understanding of military events. The book is informative, readable and (I believe) accurate. I recommend it without reservation.

This book has been universally acclaimed since its publication and won the author a Pulitzer Price. After only a few paragraphs its easy to see why. If only all history books were written like this! It may be a cliche but this book really does read like a thriller. This is one of the very few books on any historical subject that I return to again and again - even now I regret having to put it down. The one quality that makes this book so good and so unique is the lucid writing of the author. It is a huge pleasure to read a book about such a complex subject written so simply and clearly. And yet McPherson does it - and by some distance. All the facts are there. The analysis is first rate. The structure of the book is ideal. In short, for civil war "novices" this is an ideal starting point. For civil war "nuts" its an ideal book to return to again and again. It should be essential reading for every American and for everyone else wishing to learn about the United States. James McPherson has done his profession and his country a service. If you should only ever read one book about the Civil War make it this one. Read it and enjoy! Never can learning have been made such a joy.

When I first came into contact with this volume over ten years ago, I thought the hype of it being 'the best single volume treatment of the Civil War' just a little too much. I thought back to all that I had read by Bruce Catton, and thought, 'no way.' After reading it and keeping it in my library, however, the hype was correct, it is the best one volume history of the War of the Rebellion and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I still am partial to Catton, as he knew the veterans he writes about from his boyhood in Michigan, and Mcpherson does not really capture the heartbreak of the gigantic losses (to put these in perspective, if a similar event happened today, losses would be over 5 million dead, based on population percentages), nor does he capture the agony, chaos, and exhilaration of combat. However, it is still a most valuable volume and his treatment of the political side of the war is nothing short of superb.

He proves, for example, with documentary evidence from both sides, that while the war was waged by the north to restore the Union, the root cause of the war itself was slavery, its maintenance, and its resumption as an international trade. While the rank and file southerners did not join the army to fight to maintain slavery, and only ten percent of the southern population owned slaves to begin with, that ten percent controlled ninety percent of the wealth in the south and ran the new Confederacy. Reading the book and checking McPherson's references is interesting and quite enlightening.

This volume is a monumental achievement and should be on the shelf of every Civil War enthusiast. It is highly readable and highly recommended.

I've just put my battered, first edition [British] copy of the Battle Cry of Freedon down, having read it for about the twelth time in as many years. I have a Masters in History with Distinction from the London School of Economics. I have read thousands of history books on every conceivable subject from Ancient Sumeria to post-cold War Africa, taking in the economics of canals in England and the role of sex in the fall of the British Empire along the way. None of them compare to The Battle Cry of Freedom. It is quite simple the single most impressive book I have ever read. It combines comprehensive knoweldge, Solomonic judgement and an easy narrative style into an extraordinarly effective whole.

Just as the Ken Burn's 'Civil War' was a masterpiece of television, rather than a history of one particular conflict, so McPherson shows what can be done with words married to knowledge. Admittedly the subject matter, the American Civil War, is unusally rich with triumph and tragedy, high ideals and low politics, heros and villans. But McPherson brings the very best out of them.

It gets a 5 because there is no button for six. Read this book or miss out on an extraordinary experience.

Battle Cry of Freedom was a song sung by both side during the American War. Of course, they both used different words. But the music was popular, even if the lyrics were different. It seems that, even in the midst of this war, Americans had much in common. But not enough, to avoid this war.

In "Battle Cry of Freedom", the author does an excellent job portraying the views of all sides and tracing the American Civil War back to General Scott's victory over Mexcio 25 years earlier. While slavery was always an issue in America, after the Revolution many felt it would eventually wither on the vine. The constitution prohibited the slave trade after a few years, many northern states outlawed slavery within their borders, and with the coming industrial revolution, slavery was seen as inefficient and costly. With Scott's victory, however, the land available for slavery increased dramatically. When this land increased, the fighting between regions in Congress increased as well.

Here is where this book is so different from most books on this topic. "Battle Cry of Freedom" goes into detail about many possible routes history could have taken. The author discusses southern attempts to invade Cuba, a former doctor/lawyer who recruited men to take over Nicaragua and individual invasions of Baja California. The South felt that these expansions would create more land where slaves could be held and would have the added bonus of preventing war within our borders while we fought nations outside of them. Indeed, but for a corrupt offical who wanted a bribe before he would consider selling Cuba, we might have purchased Cuba from Spain 160 years ago.

"Battle Cry of Freedom" also discussed many other facts, not found in most Civil War books. I particularly liked the discussion of foreign policy of the Union and the Confederacy. Both "countries" focused their attention on England and France. I never knew how close England or France came to recognizing the Confederacy. Lincoln did. He actually changed battle plans at least once to prevent France from recognizing the Confederacy.

The author also does a good job discussing how, as the war progressed, the aims of both sides changed. The south armed freed slaves and trained them as soliders. If this war was about preserving slavery, how could they do that? The North, on the other hand, fought to preserve the Union. Soliders quit, in droves, when Lincoln proposed freeing the slaves in rebelling states. Soldiers were also aloud to quit at the end of their enlistments, which ran for three years. I never knew that soliders could quit in the middle of the war, on the eve of victory.

Over and over this book surprised me with little facts which I never knew. This is this book's great strength, and part of its weakeness. In a way, there is almost too much here. If you read any particular chapter I think you will find that it is well written and interesting. Together, however, not all the chapters flowed smoothly. The author will talk about the campaigns on the front in one chapter, and the talk about the peace movement in the next. By necessity, he would jump back and forward in time as he discussed these different issues. This can be confusing.

As such, I had a mixed view on this book. As a historical reference, it is superb. As I said, each chapter, on its own, is excellent, "five stars." But, because the organization of the book did detract somewhat from its overall message, I gave it "four stars." Compared to most books out there, "Battle Cry" is very good. I just don't think it is excellent, but it was worth the read and worth buying.