Customer Reviews

The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian (Part 1 of 2 parts) [Library Binding]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 2, From Fredericksburg to Meridian" is Foote's second book in his magnum opus and considered by some sources to be the best. I began with Volume II because of my interest in 1863, Stones River, Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and all those subjects received a very detailed treatment. I remember perusing the book in the early 1980s and wanted to read it, but was intimidated by its size. After all, it was only one of three 2.5" thick books in the series. After watching (and re-watching) Foote's interviews in Ken Burns' "The Civil War", I became so fond of the man that I bought the whole set, both in print and in audio. The books have a permanent spot in my nearest bookshelf and the audio is in a permanent playlist on my iPhone.

Volume II begins with Jefferson Davis' 1863 trip around the Confederacy to rally his constituents, and takes us through the battles of Fredericksburg, Stones River, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. We lose Stonewall Jackson, see the rise of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Ulysses Grant, and witness the fall of Rosecrans and Bragg. It does not just focus on the well-known activities of the Army of the Potomac vs. the Army of N.VA, but interposes scenes from all theaters of the war as well, as the other branch of service (Navy). It's not just a military history, as we learn of such items as the infighting in both White Houses, international ramifications of the War, and the dysfunctional inflationary economies and riots in Southern cities like Richmond and Northern cities like New York.

Foote is a master storyteller and his riveting and personal accounts may make the reader forget they are reading non-fiction history. It's the kind of book one can open at any page and start reading (or listening). It is long and detailed, but not so much by mentioning every regiment and commander as other books do, but rather by just telling the whole story from various angles.

There were a few items that the reader may find frustrating.

* Foote received criticism that he did not document with footnotes. As a recreational reader, this did not bother me so much, as there was plenty of detail within the body of the book itself.
* He could have made better/more use of maps. I typically give this criticism of most CW books.
* The narrative is long at nearly 1000 pages. That is not bad in itself, but it jumps around within chapters. In that sense, it's like reading a series of hypertext web pages. Only one chapter, "Stars in their Courses", is contiguous in subject. It covers Gettysburg and was actually later released in a smaller book of the same name.

These are small nits in my opinion; this book is a masterpiece. As Lee confided to Longstreet in the early chapters, "It is well that war is so terrible... We should grow too fond of it".

He has left us with a view of our Civil War, that was never captured before, and has not been since. This volume begins with the horrific carnage at Fredericksburg and the crises in Lincoln's cabinet in the aftermath. As in Vol. 1, Foote transitions smoothly from politics to battlefield, and from the war in the East to the campaigns in the West, and stays highly readable every page of the way.

I read all three volumes of the great Shelby Foote's Civil War narrative in the 80s. This volume is yet another of his logically well-integrated, dramatic trio on that war and speaks a soft/loud pianoforte of war from the Southern perspective. It contains many a large gulp of its often hesitantly bitter, prolonged agony from the bloody cup of setbacks and disappointments on both sides of the conflict. Had Foote given us the same mysterious energy without frequently caricaturing the North to glorify the South, it, in my estimation, would've transcended all such history, narrative or not, in the long fog of peace and romancing of the war. Yet it's THE monumental work, forcefully contradicting the rule that only victors write definitive histories of war. I hope its brilliant histrionics are never misused by historical revisionists, or deter America from completing the Spartacan dream of abolishing all vestiges of involuntary servitude.

Shelby Foote's installment of his 3-volume history on the Civil War covers the period from Fredericksburg (December 1862) to Meridian (February-March 1864).

In between those times are covered such things as:

1. Major campaigns (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Stones River/Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, etc.).
2. Lesser-known engagements (Helena, Grierson's Raid, Brandy Station, etc.).
3. Various political alliances forming against or for Presidents Lincoln and Davis.
4. Relationships between Northern and Southern generals.

The second volume is a smooth if not very long read. The narrative is engaging and helps the reader to understand basic elements of the Civil War. The title is a great introduction for someone who wishes to gain a foundational understanding of the war. For those who want a deeper knowledge, then I strongly suggest reading books on individual battles by several excellent authors (Gordon Rhea, Peter Cozzens, Stephen Sears, Mark Bradley, Harry Pfanz, Earl Hess, etc. - too many to completely list!).

One major complaint I have are the maps - not enough and lack detail in the individual battle maps. I realize this is not necessarily the author's fault.

Still, a good read and recommended for the person who wants a comprehensive, foundational knowledge of the Civil War.

This series of books is fantastic reading. Excellant writing with local interest stories included. The only thing I found lacking was better and more maps showing what the two sides were doing.

The original books, 'The Civil War - A Narrative' by Shelby Foote, remain the most respected ever written about the war between the states. When such a monumental epic is recorded it is extremely rare for it to retain the greatness of the original books. This set (totaling more than 100 hours for the three books) is a very pleasant exception. The reading is superb and all the images come through with clarity. This is probably the best recording of a Civil War book ever made.

The second volume in Shelby Foote's expansive narrative history of the Civil War opens in late 1862 with Jefferson Davis's circuitous tour of the South and closes with U.S. Grant's promotion to Lieutenant General in spring of 1864. In includes Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the bloody three days of Gettysburg, and the Vicksburg campaign. Foote maintains his objective yet eloquent narrative of the events, including military and political happenings, in a compelling manner that keeps the reader turning the pages.

I recently purchaed this collection of CD's as a gift for my husband, who is a true Civil War buff. His new motto is, "If it's not about the Civil War, I don't want to read it." (an over-exageration, of course, but heart-felt!) He has this volume in book form, but has a long commute to work and home every day. So he has been using this time to "listen and learn". He has very much enjoyed the CD's. This was a great purchase, and a great bargain, I might add! Thank you, Amazon!

VERY GOOD,THOROUGH, Battles covered well and some details. Generals and officers known of battles and whom is facing whom given. Maps occassionally used in descriptive sections. Good reference source for a particular battle.Look forward to the 3rd issue of trilogy.

This second of three volumes covers the conflict from late 1862 to early 1864. This is the period where events began to favor the Federal or Union forces. The largest portion of this volume covers Grant's successful but difficult campaign to seize Vicksburg Mississippi and Lee's disastrous invasion of Pennsylvania (i.e. Gettysburg). While other books provide more details of a single battle, Foote touches and summarizes nearly every engagement during the period covered. He also covers political, economic and civil events on both sides.

A note of criticism or warning if you will. Approaching 1000 dense pages "Fredericksburg to Meridian" is not for the faint of heart. While the narrative style and inclusion of several black-and-white maps make it more readable, the additional inclusion of small details can interfere with the 'big picture'. For example, Foote mentions nearly every Brigadier in the conflict along with the movements and actions of their commands. Nevertheless, the book is recommended for serious history readers and a must have for Civil War buffs.