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A Short History of the Civil War: Ordeal by Fire

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There have been several contenders for the title "Best Short History of the Civil War." For it's length, this one wins hands down. Fletcher Pratt was determined to remind you that the Civil War was a WAR, long and bloody and dramatic, with the issue in doubt from the begining till very near the end. And he emphasized that the Civil War was about slavery and seccession, two political questions that it answered forever. He wrote this history with the skills of a novelist and the passion of a participant (Pratt's on the Union side, and no bones about it). I first read this book in the sixties, and after reading a variety of other works, including James McPherson's one volume and Shelby Foote's three volume masterpieces, I've never seen anyone that captures the essence of what happened and why like Pratt. I know of no better introduction to Civil War History, and very few books in its league. My highest recomendation.

What can I say about this book? Well, how about in a lifetime of reading many books on the Civil War, both good and great, this one stands head and shoulders above them all. While more ink than the blood that was spilled has been used by many others to explain this terrible war, Pratt managed to capture the essence of the conflict in a short, brilliant book.
Pratt was a military historian of the first rank, but was also known for clever and exciting high fantasy stories. Perhaps it was this versatility that honed his storytelling ability to the sharp edge that we see here. While not missing a single important detail of politics, causes, battles, and personalities, he weaves an engrossing tale from start to finish, and creates a solidly researched history that is also a page-turner. This book is a joy to the student of the Civil War, but also appeals to those with no particular interest in that conflict, solely on the merit of Pratt's tight storytelling.
This book was written in 1935, and much new material on the Civil War has surfaced since then. Others, such as Shelby Foote, Bruce Catton and James McPherson have written much longer and more comprehensive works on the war that are excellent in their own right. Yet this little book still shines out as a gem among them. With its solid scholarship, sharp storytelling, and precise choice of details, it is the first rate Cliff Notes to the Civil War.

Theo Logos

I have the new edition of this book, I bought it soon as I saw it sitting on a store shelf, despite already having 5 or 6 copies of the old pocketbook sized editions. I love this book. If you are going to read only one history of the civil war, make it this one. If you are going to spend the rest of your life reading histories of the civil war, start with this one.

It would take thousands of words to express the reasons I love this book. But somehow that wouldn't be appropriate. What I will say is this:

Bruce Canton could spend two pages discribing a muddy campaign, and you will come away knowing it was muddy and what a loggistical problem that was. Shelby Foote could spend a chapter on a muddy campaingn and you will come away knowing it was muddy and how much the troops complaigned about it and maybe a funny incident or two. Fletcher Pratt could spend a paragraph or two on that campaign, and when done you'll notice your leg's hurt. Why? Because you didn't want to get mud on your couch.

This is, hands down, one of the best books on any topic I've ever read. Fletcher Pratt had a way with words that few equalled. But more important, he had a keen insight into the problem of getting us to understand the complexities of the events he discusses. After the fact, we often think that certain events were "inevitable" but Pratt does a wonderful job of showing us how contingent the Union victory was, even as late as Fall, 1864.

My favorite chapters are the early ones, where Pratt lays out the big picture of the war and discusses the lightning moves of diplomacy that kept Kentucky and Missouri in the Union and thereby gave the Union the strategic advantage. The Civil War was *the* time of decision for the USA--had things gone differently, our history and world history would have been very different. Pratt does a masterful job of bringing that to light.

I first read this book when I was about nine years old, having fished it out of my parents' bookcase to while away some idle hours. Eventually, I wore out its fragile binding and was left with a heap of pages until one day, on a visit to Washington DC, I was delighted to find a fresh copy in a second-hand bookstore. To this day, if I crave entertainment and inspiration, I take this book down from the shelf and open it at random. Whatever chapter - paragraph! - I choose is bound to shine.

Just how accurate or balanced Pratt's account of the Civil War is, I do not know. I have not read any other books about it. But he has made Grant, Lee, Lincoln, Stanton, Davis, McLellan, Hooker, Sherman, Sheridan, Bragg, Jackson, Stuart and dozens of others come alive for me.

Aged nine, I did not understand all the long words by any means. (What on earth was the "Dithyramb of Shiva", and what was an "Experiment in Tauromachy"?) But I loved them, and almost always figured out the meaning by the context.

In a way, Pratt made it possible for me to study history at university many years later. He inoculated me against the idea that history has to be boring, because I had such a stunning counter-example at the back of my mind. There are very few books of fiction that I have read that come anywhere near being so entertaining.

Anyone who hasn't read this book really ought to, if they have the slightest interest in military matters and delight in fine writing. Just one tip: if you can get hold of a hardback, it will last longer. The paperback gets fragile after a few readings, and the pages are apt to fall out unless you hold it very carefully.

In addition to the established canon of "great books" that we are all taught in our education, each of us has a personal canon of titles which have profoundly influence the direction which our reading has taken. Fletcher Pratt's "A Short History of the Civil War" is at the top of my idio-canon. I purchased it as a child from the bookrack of a drugstore in Pittsburgh in the '50's, and must have reread it at least a dozen times before it fell apart from old age. I am delighted to discover that it has been reissued by Dover, complete with its excellent set of battle and campaign maps. Although by no means a young people's writer, Pratt narrates the history of the Civil War with an emotional urgency and liveliness that imprints the Civil War forever in one's consciousness, attaching each major event in the reader's mind with some intriguing turn of phrase. Pratt's account, written in 1948, has given place to _Battle Cry of Freedom_ by James McPherson as the authoritative one-volume history of the Civil War; a comparison of these two books is instructive. McPherson is writing for an audience which has experienced the civil rights movement and is aware of the gaping wounds caused by racism. His narrative shows us how fundamentally the values of the Southern society differed from those of the North. Pratt, on the other hand, was writing for an audience for whom all of these conflicts were still mainly imminent. His narration takes the form of rapid fire anecdote and savvy but sketchy military explanation. The character of each figure in the Civil War is hastily drafted by pungent, witty stories. Taken all together, Pratt's book is a thrilling read for adults, and not at all a bad book to be left out strategically for your young teenage son to "discover" on his/her own.

Catton's, Foote's, Hansen's, and McPherson's books all have their virtues, and certainly should be read and admired, but this little gem by Pratt remains the yardstick against which all histories (one- or multi-volume) must be measured. It has worn so well; as fresh as though written last week. If you want to know what the Civil War was really about, and what it was really like, and why, go to this book.

This book was written by a master craftsman of words. This is not a book that a ten year old could easily read but any teenager who is willing to use a dictionary will find this rewarding. I originally read this over thirty years ago and was thrilled to find that it was once again in print as my copy, a paperback finally fell apart from being read so many times. This is one book that gives Gibbon a run for his money. If only Mr. Pratt had tackled the Roman Empire or Julius Caesar, that would have been some book. Once again run do not walk to get this book into your shopping cart.

Although it was first published in 1935, this is still an excellent one-volume history of the Civil War. It was the first book on the Civil War I ever read, and it helped assure a life-long interest in the subject. It is written with a dramatic flair that is not common in more recent works, and Pratt had the writing skills to make it work. Twenty-five excellent maps help the new-comer to the CW follow the strategies and tactics. In short, this is still an excellent introduction to a fascinating subject. Bruce Catton's was excellent; James McPherson's is good; but this work is still the best one-volume history of the CW I know of

This is a very readable, engaging, and concise look at the U.S. Civil war by Fletcher Pratt (1897-1956). This book first arrived in 1935, but don't worry about its antiquity. This is an excellent account of that tragic conflict, and you should enjoy it whether you are a Civil War buff or one with only a casual interest. Pratt concentrates heavily on the major battles and events, and tells the story of this bloody conflict in concise and readable detail. As one who has read superb in-depth accounts of specific campaigns or occurences by James McPherson and Bruce Catton, I'd recommend these two excellent authors for indepth reading. For a solid, concise, general history, Pratt has the ticket.