Civil War (Shelby Foote)

Foote is a very good historian and a very underrated writer. A southerner, he does not let his biases overcome his objectivity. His research if flawless, his vision is clear, and his narrative is as fluent as a novelist.

I'm currently about a fourth of the way through book 5 of this series (reading a late 90's version split into volumes) and I have to say it's really engaging. Although I enjoy reading and learning about history, I'm not exactly a huge Civil War buff per se, but it's certainly a great read. I first became aware of Foote through his insightful and engaging appearances in Ken Burns' Civil War and Baseball documentaries. Though it's true that Foote's narrative style sometimes makes you wonder if these figures would have really said something in that exact way, the books are highly informative, always captivating, and sometimes very humorous. Foote, a native of Misssissippi who died last year, perhaps indeed had a slight Southern bias at times, but is generally remarkably even- handed- and he really knows this material like the back of his hand. A great series, and a must for history buffs.

Foote was a novelist. He admitted he did not consult primary sources while writing his 3 volume work. This lowered my rating of his work. It is highly readable.

Greatest books ever!

Foote's work on the Civil War is both massive and compelling. His work on the Trans-Mississippi part of the war between the states is wonderful.

Shelby Foote writes some of the more insightful perspectives on the Civil War. He is simultaneously sympathetic for the Southern point of view (which, considering he is a Mississippian, is not at all unusual) while showing a unique understanding of the Union perspective. Foote writes in a style that is not defensive but is open-minded and acknowledges atrocities and egregious errors by both sides. I freely admit that my sympathies lie with the Union-Northern perspective, and that I am an unabashed Northeastern New York State liberal-strong central government kind of guy. My ancestors fought with the Ohio and Iowa infantries against the idea that states can up and leave the Union if they feel like it. I scoff at the notion that some, uh, "Rebs" still feel they live in the CSA, and not the USA. The ones that make me chuckle are the ones that claim they live in "occupied Tennessee" or "Occupied Virginia," and while they are within their right to feel that way, that's not the reality of ou... Read more