Customer Reviews

The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865 (Da Capo Paperback)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has been used so many times at the battlefield information desk that the cover is ready to fall off and the pages to splay out across the desk.

The daily accounts are brief yet informative and go far in giving the reader background material for a more researched dig into the past. The index is well laid out and gives the reader an excellent time line to help locate material, and the bibliography is on par with the index!

Your Civil War book shelf would not be complete without it!

Why buy two copies?
One to have at your work place, to scan during your breaks; another for home.
This fact filled book is one you'll pick up every day, if you're a Civil War buff. I've book marked each year by the days in the book, and daily read the events, of those particular years.

Simply stated, the book records events during the Civil War on a daily basis. (Both major and minor events, plus political events and things on 'the home place'.)

The end of the book has regimental figures, ( wounded, killed, etc.) plus many other gems. [ yes, we know causality figures can vary]

This is a great book, you might even buy one to sit in the bathroom, for reading material at times ;-)

Every Civil War buff needs this book.

Well presented. See what happened on a particular day in the Civil War. The book provides a brief accout on what happened on a specific day. Well indexed with a lot of information. An easily searchable almamac format. A book that will stand the test of time. It will be as useful in 100 years as it is now. I cannot imagine my bookshelf without it.

It certainly covers every day of the Civil War. If you wanted to know what happened on a certain day of a month during the war, it will tell you every newsworthy event that happened in a brief format. I can't think of a better book to answer to the question of "What happened on this day in the Civil War?".

Everette Beach Long, is acknowledged among the culture of history reading America, as one of America's primary authorities regarding the United States Civil War/The War Between The States. The exhaustive work he and his wife created in 1985 may have left out a single shot, a scuffle or a rattle of sabers somewhere, someday, however I doubt there were very many.
Long was scrupulous in his research. In his biography we read: "I got interested in the Civil War as a hobby," he explained. "Then it became an avocation, then a way of life. " Long was the director of research for Doubleday's multi-volume "Centennial History of the Civil War," written by Bruce Catton from 1955 to 1965.

The Civil War Day by Day presents day-by-day activities during the years of 1860 - 1866 beginning with November and the election of Lincoln down to Aug 20 1866 when the war was finally declared to be over. That was when Johnson declared the uprising in Texas to be finished.
For the many in our country who consider history to be 'boring', 'dry, and 'who cares, it was my least favorite class and how in blazes can there be 1135 pages in that stupid book when everyone knows there were only about six battles and it was over.' The Civil War Day by Day just may change your mind.

The table of contents lists not only the years of the warfare; but in addition notes information most/many people forget, never knew or just plain have never thought about regarding the war.
1860 1861 1863 1864 1865 Aftermath Special Studies The People of War
Men at War Economics of War

I reckon we would be hard pressed to locate anyone in our country who has absolutely no consciousness at all regarding Vicksburg, Gettysburg or 'Bull Run.' Long writing in his preface said, 'No one, no matter what method he uses, can encompass the entire course of those five years of our nation's greatest crisis. One form, that can add at least a measure of factual depth is an almanac. ... The format used to present The Civil War Day by Day is straightforward. It covers many events of the Civil War/War Between the States period from the late fall of 1860 into early 1866, with main concentration on 1861-65.

The design lends itself easily to use in classroom or for personal investigative study. Researchers, historians and readers may look for a specific date, or check the headlines under dates for specific occurrences.

Secession of Southern states, including some states having Confederate ties are presented by date. Some readers, who are not aware that the actual number of seceding states was not the accepted eleven long called 'the Confederacy,' may be surprised to learn that many other states, territories and nations were included in the Confederate States of America.

The firing on Ft. Sumter, and skirmishes in Missouri, two major battles near Manassas Junction, VA and two in Indian Territory at the Cabin Creek Crossing, battle at Chancellorsville, in Virginia and White Oak in Missouri, battle at the Wilderness, VA and one at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, are all detailed along with hundreds of others, in the book.

Many readers will be surprised to learn: The battle waged near Carthage, Missouri on July 5 1861, well after the firing on Ft Sumter, S C was raging as the US Congress met to declare war on the Southern Confederacy. Many more, well known along with lesser known facts of the war will be found. I personally like history and find the book fascinating.

Daily accounts are concise and edifying in addition to providing a foundation for the researcher to use when moving on to other texts having more detail. The format of the years is uncomplicated, listed by year, month and day it is an easy matter to find what you want quickly if you are seeking a fact or incident found on a specific day.

My personal copy has been used much over the years I have had it, I bought the book at the book store at Shiloh Battle Field. Knowing that my history B.A. husband and I would be using the book frequently, I covered the paperback cover with clear contact paper as soon as we bought it.

The volume is very well made, and has held up well to repeated use for nearly two decades. I have highlighted facts, hand written margin notes, and book marks in place all over the pages of the book, however, I do not have missing pages. There is something to be said for the particular binding used in producing the book.

This wide-ranging work is a resource tool found in the library of every serious 'civil war buff', true historian of our country and those who devour everything they can locate regarding the bleak period of our country during the mid 1860s. At 1135 pages, and heavy as a sack of sugar The Civil War Day by Day is not a work to stick in your back pocket as you stroll one of the nation's preserved battle fields.

About 1/3 of the tome is given over to the sections listed as : Aftermath Special Studies The People of War Men at War and Economics of War . These pages provide a wealth of information regarding the time. Maps of the areas of fighting found in Virginia, W VA, Richmond-Petersburg, The Trans-Mississippi area of Arkansas-Missouri, Kentucky-Tennessee, Lower Mississippi Valley, battle of Vicksburg, and the south eastern Theater are all included.

The section entitled The People of war list particular numbers of inhabitants encompassing both North and South, Slavery, Immigration and Cities are touched upon in brief. Men at War details size of armies, offers some minutiae regarding nativity, ethnic and social background of the men who fought, in addition to stating facts regarding casualties, disease. The chances of war, desertion, and prisoners are touched upon.

Of particular interest to me are specifics of regiments, battles, the blockade and economics of war over and above the cost of war. An all-embracing bibliography is integrated for further reading. An index by dates is incorporated so that the reader who does know the name of a battle or skirmish but does not know the date can locate the battle. The index by date might be better called the index by name, but either way it works.

The Civil War Day by Day is an outstanding resource for the serious student of history, re-enactors, teachers of history, and those who want to learn something of the history of our nation during that desolate era of war. I use my copy ongoing and am happy to recommend.

Molly Martin
Reviewer

"The Civil War Day By Day : An Almanac 1861-1865" is simply the most exhaustively detailed and fascinating book on the American Civil War of its kind. Not only does it provide a day-by-day look at the major events of the war, but lists so many of the small skirmishes and actions as well. Accurate and enjoyable, this tome weighs in at a hefty 1135 pages that I have referred to time and again. If you are looking for a book on this war in the chronological format then look no further, you have found the best.

This book is going to take me four years to read and I can't wait. Instead of a typical history book where you read about numerous events arranged as the author intended to emphasize his thesis, this book meters out the history in real time, exactly 150 years later. I bought this book as a replacement for the one I lost and used 25 years ago, when it was the 125th anniversary of the events. I was working on a job where we started each morning with readings from the book of events that had unfolded exactly 125 years before on that very date. Doing that was sort of like the next best thing to having lived it, the metering of the events in time seemed to make them more important, more meaningful, more patriotic.

Now I'll be doing it again, only this time 150 years after the fact.

I was trying to trace the movements of my Great Grandfather as a member of the New York Volunteers during the Civil War. His movements resulted in his marriage which produced my Grandfather. Even though he was not named, his unit was assigned to The Army of the Potomac which according to the book were in many major battles. The book also has many facts that I was not aware of. It was interesting to read and understand the agony and suffering of the men on both sides. President Lincoln holds a higher degree of respect after reading this book.It was also interesting to see the conflict between the leaders on both sides. Not alot of detail but action on every page. The research was awesome. The book will stay stay in my small collection of history books which I will also use as a reference source.

Wonder what was going on on this date during the Civil War? This book will answer that question, but that question only. Little or no social / political commentary in this book. Just the facts, Jack. At 1135 pages it is one of the biggest books I now own. However, in trying to keep the order of events, particularly when two - three battles were going on at the same time, over a period of days, this book goes far in that regard. The descriptions are brief, but greater details will have to be found in other places.
I like the book and it is at my left hand during this book writing I am trying to accomplish.

The chronological format is excellent for quick reference and gives the student of the ACW a wonderful overview of concurrent events during that time frame. I found it useful in researching the era for my own writing.[ASIN:098146193X Call Me Kate: Meeting the Molly Maguires]