Even Better the Second Time

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	• The Civil War: A Narrative (3 Vol. Set) Shelby Foote Vintage, 1986 average customer review:based on 137 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

America's War and Peace

My interest in history has been directed mostly at Russia. American history has never been that interesting to me. That changed when I read Foote's history of the Civil War. I had never read a history so rich, so beautifully written, so engrossing. This reads like the most satisfying kind of novel, the characters finely drawn, the plot compelling. That it isn't a novel at all only adds to its power. My anger at the stupidity and cruelty of some characters and the bad treatment of others, my sorrow over the deaths, and even my exultation over some of the victories (I was alternately rooting for both the North and the South, so strongly did Foote make me care for their respective soldiers and leaders) were all the stronger for knowing that they really lived. They could scarcely be more real to me had I met them.

I started reading this during a long, cold, and very dark winter in Russia. It got me through January and February and well into the spring thaw. I might have finished in less time, but by the time I was in the third volume I had to keep going back to remind myself of things that happened in the first. This history isn't short. It's War and Peace the way Tolstoy would have written it if he hadn't been a man of few words. But I don't want books that I'm enjoying to end, so the length was just a bonus. This history is a sad joy. Do something really nice for yourself and take the time to read it.

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Even Better the Second Time

Like most people I became interested in the American Civil War as a result of Ken Burn's Civil War series on PBS. (Which is a damning indictment of our public educational system but that's another topic). I was especially taken with Shelby Foote's commentary during the broadcast so, naturally, when I decided to read a book on the Civil War I went to Mr. Foote's trilogy first. I happened to be single at the time and had lots of free time. I found myself completely engrossed in these three books. I would read for hours at a time. I hated to put them down. It was one of the most intense AND rewarding reading experiences of my life.
Then I started reading other, more scholarly, books on the subject. And I highly recommend reading James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom and just about anything by Bruce Catton. The autobiographies of Grant and Sherman are not only well written but are surprisingly entertaining. There are detailed studies on specific topics by writers like Stephen Sears and Peter Cozzens that are very informative and a pleasure to read.
But I kept going back to Mr. Foote. I found myself going over his account of Gettysberg or the Grierson raid or the battle of the Monitor and the Merrimac etc. And finally I got around to rereading the whole trilogy again. And that's when I came to fully appreciate Mr. Foote's achievement. The first time through I was pulled along by the smooth flow of the narration without realizing how artful it was. There are a lot of controversies in the Civil War. Other writers stop and examine each side of the issue. But somehow Mr. Foote was able to note the other opinions without impeding the flow of the narrative one iota.
And the second time through I noticed the overall literary structure. This is a novel. With leading protagonists. The two stars are Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln. From the beginning of the trilogy to the final sentence these two individuals are rarely too far from Mr. Foote's focus. He is constantly comparing their differences, their family situations, their achievements, their faults, their talents and virtues. From the slow rise to prominence of Lincoln down to the inevitable fall of Davis. That's Mr. Foote's Grand Concept. And on my second reading I found it quite breathtaking.
This trilogy is both a scrupulously (for its time) accurate history of the American Civil War AND a profound literary treatment of two tragic heroes. Almost as if William Faulkner had channeled William Shakespeare.
I envy those who have yet to experience these wonderful books. And if you've only read them once I think you'll find a slow rereading will be very rewarding.

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Fantastic Read

I cannot recommend these books highly enough. I am a self confessed history buff, but my Civil War knowledge was extensive before - but only in the major battles. For a narrative of the whole conflict, I wasn't sure how it all fitted together.

I like Foote's style of writing, and he is not biased towards one side. He is just as critical of Fremont and Buell as he is of Floyd and Bragg.

One small point is the odd (to me as an Aussie) spelling of some words. But this is not a negative so much as an amusement.

The maps are good and frequent, and the reading never gets boring.

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Nobody does it better!

Shelby Foote created a masterpiece that assured his own place in history. Who can't think of the mini-series without thinking of Foote? Well, this is the work that got him his place in The Civil War and deservedly so. Many books have been written about the civil war from the perspectives of its actors, but none have been so evenly treated, nor so thorough. Fifty years old, it is still a relevant work and worth owning, in any form.

A fasanating account

Bought for a friend who has read much on the civil war. He loves the book and the details told by Mr. Foote that you don't find in other books. A definite buy!

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