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Book Description
This major and long-awaited work will be the definitive history of the American Civil War by our greatest military historian.
Product Description
This magisterial history of the first modern war is on the scale of John Keegan's classics, A History of Warfare and The First World War. In his sweeping, unputdownable narrative he highlights the geography, leadership and strategic logic at the heart of the conflict.
John Keegan writes: ‘The geography of the battlefield is to me a living reality. I know the appearance of the battlefields, I know the distances between them, I know the cemeteries in which the dead were buried. What constantly puzzles me, however, is to relate the landmarks of the war to its events, chronology, strategy and logic. That war went on for so long – four years – over such an enormous space – the Confederacy covered an area as large as Europe west of Russia – and involved so many battles – 260 is the common reckoning – and so many people that its events conform to no pattern at all.
'How to make sense of the war is the question. In recent years, this became the primary concern of historians, after nearly a century of writing concerned either with arguing the rights or wrongs or simply re-telling the story chronologically.
'The story of America is, in one of its dimensions, that of man and wilderness. The story can be told as one in which man tames and dominates; it can equally be told as one in which nature is never really subdued, always bides its time, often asserts its power to remind men of their pygmy status. The Civil War is certainly a story of the struggle of man against man; it is equally a story of the struggle of man against geography, in which those who had a feel for the country eventually succeeded because they knew how to work with the landscape instead of ignoring or defying it.’
John Keegan writes: ‘The geography of the battlefield is to me a living reality. I know the appearance of the battlefields, I know the distances between them, I know the cemeteries in which the dead were buried. What constantly puzzles me, however, is to relate the landmarks of the war to its events, chronology, strategy and logic. That war went on for so long – four years – over such an enormous space – the Confederacy covered an area as large as Europe west of Russia – and involved so many battles – 260 is the common reckoning – and so many people that its events conform to no pattern at all.
'How to make sense of the war is the question. In recent years, this became the primary concern of historians, after nearly a century of writing concerned either with arguing the rights or wrongs or simply re-telling the story chronologically.
'The story of America is, in one of its dimensions, that of man and wilderness. The story can be told as one in which man tames and dominates; it can equally be told as one in which nature is never really subdued, always bides its time, often asserts its power to remind men of their pygmy status. The Civil War is certainly a story of the struggle of man against man; it is equally a story of the struggle of man against geography, in which those who had a feel for the country eventually succeeded because they knew how to work with the landscape instead of ignoring or defying it.’
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good military history - but not more than that,
By
This review is from: The American Civil War (Hardcover)
I am afraid I must beg to differ from the previous reviewer. This book is (of course) very good as a military history. However, despite its title it really does not aspire to be more than that (as the notes and bibliography reveal) - and there is a great deal more than that to the Civil war. So it is far from being a definitive book about the war - and if you are looking for that you may well be disappointed.
However it is excellent on the real military history aspects. Keegan has conveyed more clearly to me the impact of geographical factors, both generally and in relation to specific battles, than anything else I have read. He is excellent on identifying and keeping track of the planning of the war on each side. He is also wonderful at evaluating the individual generals, and drawing speaking parallels with generals of other wars. Frankly, I could have used and enjoyed more detail on each of these facets, but particularly the last. The two big problems with the book are (1) the title, which conveys a false sense of the ambit of the book - it should more properly be called "A Military History of the Civil War" or "The Geography, Battles and Generals of the Civil War" (2) the introductory chapters (and to some extent parts of the concluding chapters too) where Keegan goes outside the military history remit; these sections are frankly somewhat carelessly written and edited (so much repetition - including the same phrase twice within two paras -that I came close to throwing the book across the room) and say nothing illuminating at all. He would have been much better to drop these, cut to the chase, and give us some more of what he is really good at.
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A disappointing book,
By
This review is from: The American Civil War (Hardcover)
The number of books on the American Civil War is huge. To write a new work that is worth reading is very difficult, requiring perceptive scholarship of the highest order, good illustrations, clear detailed maps, et. I had expected much better from an historian of the calibre of John Keegan. The book is not well written (it starts with a paragraph lasting almost three pages and is plagued by irritating repetitions that his editor should have corrected), the maps are about the worst I have seen in a modern work of serious military history and it is not until the final third of the book that the author says anything worth reading. I can only think that the author was pushed by his publisher into writing a book that did not interest him.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good book with reservations,
By
This review is from: The American Civil War (Hardcover)
Keegan is a very good military historian. I've read most of his books. It's unfortunate with this book his some research is apparently flawed. Some geography, locations, people and places in some instances are incorrect so says the New York Times Book Reviewer, a writer/historian of the Civil War himself who has a lot of respect for Keegans ability. With a little more factual research I suppose it could have been a better book. I purchase books by good authors so that I can learn and be entertained. What I did read I really enjoyed because Keegan can deliver. If there are errors in some facts I'll never know. But it's a good read never the less.
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