The Civil War: A Narrative - 3 Volume Box Set Paperback – Box set, November 12, 1986

I love war histories and the more battle details the better. Shelby Foote delivers in spades. I am half way through the 3rd volume in about 4 weeks and would rank these books close to the top of the list, if not the top, for battle-centric history. If you are looking for a history of the civil war period, all facets, this probably is not the best book to start with. I thought Battle Cry of Freedom did a better job of weaving in the economics and social issues. But for sheer and pure battle descriptions this is one of the best books I have read. One of my favorite features are the maps, and I can never get enough battle maps, but Foote's 3 volume set has most of the maps you need to follow the action.Highly recommend this set if you want to understand the civil war from both a military perspective and political perspective.ProsGreat descriptions of major and minor battlesGood mapsLots of background color on the major playersFoote weaves a lot of subtle humor and sarcasm throughout the war and there are plenty of opportunities to apply bothConsHuge read, but this is a pro for meDoes not address economic and social issues as well as others, but that too is a pro since I mainly am interested in the warMy Takeaway of the Civil War - it was really an unfair fight. The north literally outspent (in blood and treasure) the south which reminded me somewhat of the cold war and Reagan's bankrupting the USSR. I was always surprised the north didn't just tell the south "good riddance", but after reading Foote's detailed recap of the north's thinking I now better understand why the war was fought. How it was able to last four years given the north's incredibly incompetent generals and numerous consecutive defeats is testimony to Lincoln's political brilliance. Like a goldminer panning for gold, the north eventually was able to filter out the sand and gravel and was left with gold nugget generals. To continue that analogy, the south's pan had holes in it and most of its nuggets fell out (died).

You know those hypothetical questions you get asked in adult board games (i.e. If you were stranded on a island what CD/book would you like to have)?No doubt about it, Shelby Foote's masterpiece trilogy would be resting beside my palm leaf makeshift bed as I sleep and I would turn those pages until they whithered away.The reason I used the above quote is the reading has been so "sweet" and has hooked me into the ACW. I will go on to read dozens of more books on people, places, battles, politics. The "sorrow" lies in the fact that the journey has come to an end.I'm an avid reader, so it took me about 2 months to finish the approximate 3000 pages. I look forward to reading it again in a few years, when I want a little refresher. I suspect that a work like this will probably take most people several months, if not years to finish. In any case, it's well worth it.The amount of detail is perfect. The major engagements get full treatment, down to brigade and in some cases regimental levels. But no stone is left unturned. Minor skirmishes and rear guard activity are also noted. The west, the east, the naval battles. The focus is primarily military, however, there is a nice dose of political, social, biographical and cultural topics. Tons of anecdotes and "I did not know that" type information. There is also a good balance of tactical vs. down in the ditch accounts.Very good maps. Just as the details of troop movements start to get a bit hazey, you turn the page to find a perfect map. I would have like to seen just a few more, but there are plenty and all well done.There are a few comments from other reviewers about Foote's allegiance to the South and leaving out atrocities and such. This is hogwash. I knew very little of the ACW before reading these volumes and I feel that his treatment was very fair to both sides. A poor leader is critized, whether he wore blue or gray/butternut. Just as a good leader is praised. Grierson's raid during Vicksburg gets as many high marks as any of Forrest's.Many others have noted all the highlights, much more articulated than I ever could, so I'll refer you to those reviews. Simply put, this book is a must read to begin or expand your knowledge of the ACW. It took 20 years for Foote to finish, and literally every word was well thought out. It ranks in many "top 100" lists for best nonfiction of the 1900's.