A Short History of the Civil War: Ordeal by FireNovelist, historian, and critic Bernard De Voto calls this book the "best one-volume history of the Civil War I've ever read." David Madden, Director of the United States Civil War Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, considers it "the most powerful of all short histories of the Civil War published since the Depression." These and many other authorities have been won over by the author's profound grasp of the great conflict, and also by his conceptual power, narrative drive, and muscular prose. Now Civil War buffs and general readers alike can enjoy the noted historian's audacious, staccato-like style as he brings the events, figures, and campaigns of the War Between the States vividly to life. Beginning in Washington, D.C., on the day of Lincoln's inauguration, the narrative moves swiftly on to the battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness, and, ultimately, to Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House. Avoiding footnotes and other academic trappings, the author describes in absorbing, highly readable detail the drama of military campaigns and battlefield strategies, studding his narrative with fascinating anecdotes and asides on Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Sherman, Jackson, and other leaders. Enhanced with 50 maps of battle sites, this fascinating popular history will thrill any Civil War buff and will also appeal to a wide audience of general readers. |
Contents
Disaster in the Scrub | |
Portrait in Four Tones of | |
Under Two Standards | |
GENIUS IN THE ASCENDANT | |
The Dolor of the Crescent | |
Somebodys Hand Shook | |
Water Is More Desirable Than Blood | |
Second Interlude | |
The Idiots Tale | |
Seven Times Against the City | |
Scotts Anaconda | |
Allegro Marziale | |
Experiment in Tauromachy | |
Varanus Salvator | |
Black Week | |
The Ironclad Carondelet | |
The Summer of Discontent | |
Forever Free | |
Maryland My Maryland | |
The Dark Height | |
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Common terms and phrases
A. P. Hill advance artillery assault Atlanta attack batteries battle began blow Bragg brigade broke Buell Burnside camp campaign cannon cavalry Chancellorsville charge Chattanooga column command Confederacy Confederate Corps Creek crossed D. H. Hill defense division Ewell face Federal fight fire flank force Fredericksburg Frémont front Gettysburg Grant gunboats guns Halleck Hancock Hardee head Heintzelman held Hill Hill’s Hood Hood’s Hooker horse Howard infantry Jackson Jefferson Davis Joe Johnston Johnston Lee’s Lincoln Longstreet McClellan McClernand Meade military morning Mountain move never night Northern numbers o’clock officers Pope Porter position Potomac Pratt’s President railroad rear rebel regiments retreat Richmond river road rode Rosecrans round Schofield sent Sheridan Sherman shot shouting side soldiers South Southern Stanton stood Stuart Tennessee Thomas took trenches troops turned Union army Valley VI Corps Vicksburg victory Virginia Warren Washington West whole wing