Voices of the Civil War (Meridian) [Mass Market Paperback]

Richard Wheeler (Author), Bruce Catton (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995 | Series: Meridian

Author Richard Wheeler has compiled an eyewitness account by the man and women who observed the struggle first-hand, from the opening shots at Fort Sumter to Lee's aurrender at Appomattox. Illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eyewitness accounts from men and women who experienced the Civil War make up the narrative of this volume. "It could hardly be better done," PW concluded. "The extracts are without exception memorable. . . . The story unfolds with immediacy and color, and the reader knows what it was like to march through the countryside and take part in this frightful carnage." Illustrated.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Plume (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452010667
• ISBN-13: 978-0452010666
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,202,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great masterpiece by Wheeler!, January 1, 2004

By 

Nathan Hale (Nashville, TN. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices of the Civil War (Meridian) (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought Richard Wheeler's Voices of 1776 and really enjoyed it. This book is just as well written. I appreciate Wheeler's use of first-hand narratives and accounts. The book covers the first fire on Fort Sumpter to the end of the war. Wheeler has added maps throughout the book. Like I said, I am willing to tri any book that has a good, solid, foundation built on historical accounts. One of my favorite books is Henry S. Commager's Spirit of Seventy-Six. This is also a must read for anyone who loves history.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing, April 8, 2011

By 

Michael E. Fitzgerald (Kingwood, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Voices of the Civil War (Meridian) (Mass Market Paperback)

Every once in a while an author produces a book that simply takes your breath away. That is what Richard Wheeler has accomplished in Voices of the Civil War.

Next week celebrates the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. With the passage of so much time, it is simply impossible to understand the impact of that war on the lives of those who experienced that conflagration. Studying today's literature, which is quite copious, is useful for understanding the stakes, the accomplishments, the engagements and the tactics. But all of the literature is spun by the agenda or the opinion of the various authors. Today, it sometimes seems that what-if is as important as what actually happened. Richard Wheeler's approach is different. This author works hard to deliver a book structured not so much by the writer but by those who experienced our Civil War as it was fought, suffered, seen and recorded.

Voices of the Civil War is focused on the major battles fought between the North and the South. From 1st Bull Run through Appomattox Court House Wheeler tells this story through the diaries, memoirs and after action reports of those who participated in each of these contests. Major and minor players, from commanding generals to privates in the ranks, doctors, chaplains and newspaper reporters, are all quoted as this amazing tapestry is woven to reveal the poignant story that occurred.

This book by is, if nothing else, humbling. It is a new take on both the North's and the South's heritage, moving away from conjecture, spin and interpretive revisionism and focuses the reader on the experiences of those who fought this war that claimed over 600,000 lives, 3% of the then current American population. One gets the feeling that the American Union, its liberties and the hopes for the future of those who fought, died and were maimed in this war were very precious to the people so engaged. It is a book that takes you a step closer to the personal impact of this war. The sacrifice, terror and fear contained within these pages eloquently speak for themselves. Through it, you to begin to understand what a precious gift our system of government really is.

I cannot recommend this fine work too highly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Read, August 13, 2009

By 

Dwayne Forrest (Bar Harbor, ME) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices of the Civil War (Meridian) (Mass Market Paperback)

I purchased this recently and just breezed through it. I'm amazing at how great a book this is. It consists of commentary and on-the-spot stories of the important battles of the Civil War culled from letters and diaries of participants, from the Commanding Officers to Privates as well as civilians. I learned much about the people and practices of that era I didn't know. This book kept me riveted throughout. It's like a time machine in print!