The heritage of the south is Civil War literature. Everyone
in Dixie has to read the Bible and at least one Civil War book. God knows there
are plenty to choose from, but if you are looking for a definitive, and
engrossing, history of the Civil War, you would do well to try The Civil War by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ric
Burns, and Ken Burns.
Written as
a supplement to a 10-hour television series, The Civil War is about just that: the Civil War, from its underlying
causes to its final effects on American life and politics. Told year by year,
this book covers the whole scope of the war objectively, taking a few breaks
now and then to discuss related or personal stories from history. Everything
from slavery to troop movements in major battles to the use of photography receives
its due space. Written in a concise, enjoyable, objective style, The Civil War is an excellent resource
for study and a wonderful read.
Accompanying
the prose are pictures taken from the war. These images capture a variety of
faces: soldiers posing for cards to send home, landscapes of Richmond in ruins,
gatherings of ex-slaves resting in front of their homes. The images bring life
to the text that could not be conveyed otherwise, giving real faces to the men
and women we’re told about and whose letters and diaries we read. They bring
the war and its time to us, reminding us of its reality in our not-too-distant
past.
The Civil
War is no easy subject for an author to tackle, but Ward and the Burns manage
to give a telling of its history that is arresting and enjoyable but also
enlightening. Essays by scholars appear in each chapter, dissecting the reasons
for the war and its effects on us as a nation. These discussions make the book
not just a story but a lesson, and show us how much we have to learn from the
Civil War… and why we can never forget it.
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