Volume I of The Army of the Potomac trilogy, this is Bruce Catton's superb evocation of the early years of the Civil War when the army was u...
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Feb 05, 2011
Eric
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Cyril Connolly noted the depressive effect of numerous and exhaustive biographies of hard-luck poets—reading yet another life of Baudelaire “we know, with each move into a cheap hotel, exactly how many cheap hotels lie ahead of him.” Mr. Lincoln’s Army makes me feel that way. Catton’s masterly narration envelopes you—
the skirmish lines went down the slope, each man in the line separated from his fellows by half a dozen paces, holding his musket as if he were a quail hunter with a shoMore...
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Apr 20, 2011
Richard
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This is the first of about thirteen books which Bruce Catton wrote about the Civil War, during the 1950's and 1960's. Don't let their original publishing dates bias your opinion of the worth of Catton's books. Surely, much more scholarship has been conducted on the subject since then, and a tsunami of Civil War books continues to be published each year. However, no one has ever written with more economy of prose or clearness of thought on the subject than Catton. His writing is that good. "
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Nov 29, 2009
I am, admittedly, a Civil War nerd. But I also have little patience for the lists of regiments and commanders with confusing battle maps that I can never understand. Thank you Bruce Catton for educating me without frustrating me...
Most of the interesting Civil War books that I have read - most of them reasonably accurate historical fiction - have been focussed more on the Southern generals. Much of this is because the Southern Cause was just generally more romantic with more personal More...
Most of the interesting Civil War books that I have read - most of them reasonably accurate historical fiction - have been focussed more on the Southern generals. Much of this is because the Southern Cause was just generally more romantic with more personal More...
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Jun 01, 2009
Dan
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Well i just loved this book, not because it seems to be the definitive work on the civil war, a great bibliography, superb footnotes and fantastic anecdotes, but this kind of stuff is just really fascinating to me. I think for its time (1950's), it is very well researched and just really compacted with relevant data and story lines. Caton follows the Army of the potomac from the end of the first battle at Manasses to the end of Antietem and McClellans end.
"Antietem was just a di More...
"Antietem was just a di More...
Nov 19, 2011
Mike
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If you think that history has to be dry or boring, then you only need to read Bruce Catton's Army of the Potomoc Trilogy to see how it should be done. Catton's characters come to life as well as any fictional novel, even though he's writing about real people and the things they actually did. The trilogy is older, and modern scholarship has revealed some small inaccuracies in Catton's work, but the series is so well-written that it remains a useful introduction to the main front in the Civil Wa
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Apr 04, 2011
robert
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Brilliant Mr. Catton on the North's War up through Antietam, the EP in the fall of '62. Must read or at least required on every FARB bookshelf. I admire BC's searching, unpretentious sharpshooter style. Occasional lapses into romance & reverie and lala land are quickly slapped to a consciousness of gore filth and corruption. BC had no PC delusions about America- he held the mirror up to Inglorious America faithfully, writing the truth about America in 1952.
Jul 20, 2009
Amanda
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Though I strained my eyes reading the very small print, this was an interesting book. While I felt Catton had a tendency to ramble a bit, I did the story gripping. At this time, I can't see how the Union gets themselves out of the hole they are currently digging, so I'm curious to see how things turn around.
Aug 19, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
Interesting book; told mostly from the point of view of the men in uniform. I was disappointed in the starting point, however and would have liked it better if he had started at earlier, before McClellan took control of the army.
Mar 30, 2009
James
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One of the all-time great Civil War historians, and the first book of a trilogy that was his best work. Anyone who is interested in the Civil War should read this trilogy
Oct 22, 2009
I decided to reintroduce myself to Bruce Catton; one of the first and foremost authorities on the American Civil War. I am learning something new everyday....
Dec 07, 2011
If you were to wake up one morning and say, "Today is a good day to read a civil war book", this is the book you should wake up to read.
Apr 16, 2011
Meghan
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David Blight ♥ Bruce Catton and I ♥ David Blight, so according to the transitive property of scholarship I had to read some Bruce Catton.
Nov 30, 2011
Jonfaith
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This was devoured during my Shelby Foote feast. I likened Catton to Hemingway if Foote were Proust. I find that apt.
Jan 13, 2011
Erik
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Reviewed under the rubric of the three volume series, "The Army of the Potomac," of which this is the first volume.
Apr 24, 2011
There is a reason Mr. Catton's books are the standard by which other Civil War histories are measured.
Jul 20, 2008
Riannon
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I started reading this series out of order (read the last one first because I didn't know it was a trilogy); I absolutely loved A Stillness at Appomattox, so I checked this one out of the library as soon as it was available, and it didn't disappoint my high expectations.
I really enjoyed Catton's economy of writing. Every sentence is relevant and interesting. He writes about the Civil War in great detail, but at a brisk pace that holds the reader's attention (at least it held mine!). More...
I really enjoyed Catton's economy of writing. Every sentence is relevant and interesting. He writes about the Civil War in great detail, but at a brisk pace that holds the reader's attention (at least it held mine!). More...
Apr 03, 2008
Recounts the early years of the Civil War, focusing on the Army of the Potomac. Covers the second battle of Bull Run, the peninsular campaign, and Antietam, but also gives an excellent feel for the personalities of the commanding generals involved and for what life was really like among the average soldiers themselves. For non-fiction, historical writing, Catton’s style is without peer--it’s moving and poetic.
Oct 31, 2007
Dottie
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Good Civil War reading wanted? Then Catton is first on the list in my opinion.
Feb 12, 2012
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