Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

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Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States #6)

4.36 of 5 stars 4.36 · rating details · 8,392 ratings · 479 reviews

Filled with fresh interpretations and information, puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, Battle Cry of Freedom will unquestionably become the standard one-volume history of the Civil War.
James McPherson's fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the endi...more

Paperback, 928 pages

Published December 11th 2003 by Oxford University Press (first published 1988)

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Mar 19, 2013 Esdaile rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: american, history

This work is certainly very extensively researched and annotated and abounds in comments from contemporaries-quotations, extracts from diaries etc. This is so much the case that it is arguable that McPherson did not so much write a historical account as piece together as produce a series of quotations from eye-witnesses and those who lived through events and has interspersed them with a linking narrative and his own biased comments. The book is rather like a printed version of popular tv histori...more This work is certainly very extensively researched and annotated and abounds in comments from contemporaries-quotations, extracts from diaries etc. This is so much the case that it is arguable that McPherson did not so much write a historical account as piece together as produce a series of quotations from eye-witnesses and those who lived through events and has interspersed them with a linking narrative and his own biased comments. The book is rather like a printed version of popular tv histories where dramatic footage is interspersed with aging eye witnesses making their truncated and edited comments on past events. In other words this is a documentary rather than a history and it has the surreptitious bias of a modern newspaper. Interestingly, the back cover of the penguin edition gives visible support to this by producing in the popular type of the US at that time (Galliard?) for the name of the publications 6 promotional puffs. The worst thing about the kind of bias in a book like this is that it is very difficult for a layperson to argue, since it is not a question of untruths or errors but of truths not mentioned or facts ignored, and McPherson is too good at his job to leave anything out which is well known. Many are also likely to think that this is a fair account since the writer takes pains to give it the superficial appearance of being so. There is no officious sabre rattling or trumpet blowing about this book. It appears to be sweetly reasonable while relentlessly pursuing a pro-Northern line from beginning to end.
Nearly every famous quotations and many obscure ones from the war can be found in the pages of this book. As a mine of quotations it is certainly second to none. The only exception that comes to mind is the remark made by one Southerner on hearing of Lincoln’s condemnation of rebellion and disloyalty-“if rebellion is always wrong, then God save the King!”. Stonewall Jackson referred to the South’s attempt at independence “the Second War of Independence”, an aspect of the struggle which McPherson does not address with any seriousness. The issue is by no means dead. In recent years the state of Vermont has begun to mutter about secession from the Union. At the Vermont Independence Convention held on October 28th 2005 in the state capital, Thomas Naylor declared that “South Carolina and the Confederate states had a perfect right to secede”.

I was not surprised after 550 pages of pro-yankee journalism to find McPherson belittling a notorious statement of Northern malice. This is the infamous invitation to the rape of women in the occupied South made by the commander of Union forces in occupied New Orleans. It is termed euphemistically by Mc Pherson as “an incident” and “Butler’s women’s order”. : The writer notes that it “intensified British upper-class alienation from the North” (Is McPherson suggesting that the British middle classes of the time more sympathetic to a bit of rough treatment of snooty belles?) Butler’s statement ran as follows: : “any woman who persisted in the practice of insulting Northern soldiers shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her trade” Even today, with two world wars and countless horrors between then and now, this order sounds appalling and is appalling. It is also historically significant since it breaks the very codex which Gibbon in Decline and Fall had so proudly noted a hundred years before as the hallmark of civilized behaviour-soldiers in the eighteenth century refraining from attacking or molesting civilians. But McPherson who is always more understanding of Northern outrages than Southern ones-finds what he calls “considerable provocation” for Butler’s declaration. What can this “considerable provocation” be? Something pretty drastic to justify an invitation to rape one would think. Nothing less than murder and terrorism surely? Not exactly. Southern provocation was “climaxed by a woman who dumped the contents of a chamber-pot from a French-Quarter balcony on Fleet Captain Farragut’s head.” This would be hilarious if the writer were not so serious in believing this largely excuses Butler’s order. McPherson does not tell us how many women were raped as a result of the green light given by their commander. I am sure that if the history had been in reverse the reader would have received a very different account.. Apart form the relentless bias of the book, it is poorly served by the publishers: the photographs are cramped and mostly anyone’s second choice, more seriously, the maps of the battlefields are so poorly printed as to be almost unuseable. Maybe that suits McPherson’s belief that battles are not half so important as they are made out to be by most historians. Like Tolstoy in War in Peace he sees them and portrays them as a lot of sound and fury and confusion-decisive battles do not take place in this account. Gettysburg is presented as just one more bloody conflict rather than the decisive battle is its traditionally presented as being. Far more important for McPherson is the calibre of generals-this seems to him to be all important, not that he is over-enthusiastic about Southern generalship. It is not brilliance on the part of Lee but timidity, incompetence and rivalry among Northern generals which is here offered as the major clue to the slow progress of the Northern war effort. As for Lincoln, needless to say he, he is the hero of the story, as infallible as the Pope. If McPherson ever criticises Lincoln, I missed it.
This may be, as some claim, the best book on the subject. If that is true I am sorry to hear it. (less)

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Jeremy Great review. You hit on all the concerns I had with the book.
Mar 17, 2013 04:40am

Esdaile Jeremy wrote: "Great review. You hit on all the concerns I had with the book."

Thank you! It bucks the trend but to date I have not been to my mind sat...more
Mar 19, 2013 12:20pm

Jeremy I was astonished by the "considerable provocation" claims made in the book. There are many instances such as those where McPherson carefully pieces to...more
Mar 23, 2013 08:47am

Mar 02, 2010 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, us-civil-war

The times, they change so fast, and the Young People Today know nothing of drive-ins… of paper routes…of bizarrely racist street parades:

Indiana Democrats organized a parade which included young girls in white dresses carrying banners inscribed “Fathers, save us from nigger husbands!”

(p. 159)

A Democratic float in a New York parade carried life-size effigies of Horace Greeley and a “good looking nigger wench, whom he caressed with all the affection of a true Republican.” A banner proclaimed tha

...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Aaron Arnold rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, politics, favorites, read-in-2011

Widely acclaimed as the best single-volume history of the Civil War around, this is another entry in the Oxford History of the United States, which I am enjoying immensely. The preface had an interesting observation: though this book covers the shortest span of all the books in the series (albeit with some significant overlap), it's one of the longest books in the series. The Civil War is the most-written about period in American history simply because there's so much history in it, as it did mo...more Widely acclaimed as the best single-volume history of the Civil War around, this is another entry in the Oxford History of the United States, which I am enjoying immensely. The preface had an interesting observation: though this book covers the shortest span of all the books in the series (albeit with some significant overlap), it's one of the longest books in the series. The Civil War is the most-written about period in American history simply because there's so much history in it, as it did more to turn a bunch of squabbling states into the United States than anything since 1789. McPherson doesn't even get to recounting the actual war until over a third of the way into the book as the country splits and splinters and tries and fails to resolve a vast number of contradictory pressures and choices about its future, and the Federalists' nightmares about factions turned into reality: Northerners vs. Southerns, those who wanted to settle the West vs. those who wanted to preserve the existing balance of the states, wets vs. dries, immigrants vs. nativists, Catholics vs. Protestants, tariff supporters vs. free traders, developers favoring Hamiltonian projects vs. laissez faire adherents, plantation owners vs. industrialists, rural folk vs. urban dwellers, Democrats vs. Whigs, Democrats vs. Know-Nothings, Democrats vs. Republicans, war hawks vs. doves, but most of all, slavery supporters vs. abolitionists. It's a truism that in elementary school you learn that the Civil War was about slavery, in high school you learn that it was about states' rights, and that in college you learn that actually it was still really about slavery. McPherson completely demolishes the idea that it could have possibly been about anything other than the South's "peculiar institution" - slavery was the bedrock of the South's economy, the keystone of its social structure, and the altar on which they convinced themselves that they were the highest, most advanced civilization on Earth. McPherson somehow works that discussion smoothly into the book among a million other things, from advanced demographic analysis (like his eye-opening mythbusting of the "rich man's war, poor man's fight" canard), to the background political scheming that Lincoln had to overcome, to the shockingly large tolls that disease and poor sanitation took on each army, to the massive economic chasm opening between the modernizing North and the magnolia-tinged South, and most especially, to the battles. You can't really be interested in this greatest of all American wars if you're not fascinated by the senseless, bloody, magnificent meetings between two of the mightiest armies of the 19th century, and McPherson seemingly covers every cavalry raid and clash of picket lines. It's an impressive feat, well-worthy of its 1988 Pulitzer Prize, and though it's rare to describe a book as being the last word on a subject, surely even rarer is the reader who finishes this masterwork unsatisfied.(less)

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Jul 10, 2007 Bryan (Beej) Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is reported that there are 15,000 books on the Civil War in the Library of Congress, so the natural question is where do you start? Furthermore, Most of the "seminal" Civil War works are volumes and thousands of pages. Well in 850 pages, McPherson provides succint, yet thorough historical writing of the highest caliber. It unmuddies the waters as to the reasons for the country's schism and the start of the war and provides the necessary level of detail as to the prosecution of the war without...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Misha rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am on the 250-some page in McPhearson. They should stop mucking
around and go at each other already.

------------------------
I am on 400-some page in McPherson - he needs maps. The maps are too
scarce, and more images. Surely, there is plenty of visual material on
civil war. The battles are awe-inspiring -- a thousand people dead on
each side in a medium-size engagement (I am thinking the battle of
Shiloh). Half of the engaged regiments killed and wounded. I was
surprised German immigrants fought at...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Jeremy Perron rated it 5 of 5 stars

James McPherson's Pulitzer winning work Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era is often referred to as being the best single volume account of the American Civil War*. This book is all it was cracked up to be. It exams the major causes leading up to the conflict and the war itself by exploring them from multiple angles. The book shifts smoothly from the bottom Union ranks to the presidential chair, from radical abolitionists to powerful slave holders. One of the main themes of the book is 'lib...more James McPherson's Pulitzer winning work Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era is often referred to as being the best single volume account of the American Civil War*. This book is all it was cracked up to be. It exams the major causes leading up to the conflict and the war itself by exploring them from multiple angles. The book shifts smoothly from the bottom Union ranks to the presidential chair, from radical abolitionists to powerful slave holders. One of the main themes of the book is 'liberty', how it is defined by the major actors and how the definition changes toward the end of the war. McPherson points out that both sides were fighting for their version of liberty, what they felt were the right American traditions, and how they understood the Constitution of the Framers. However, the obvious truth is that part of the South's definition of liberty is the right to own slaves, and that was the right for which they were going to break apart the Union and go to war to defend.

McPherson's narrative begins at the end of the Mexican-American War, where the nation is debating on what to do with the newly acquired territory and the slave issue moves to front and center. In this debate we see the close of a second generation of American leaders and the rise of third. The actors Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun leave the stage after their last act and are replaced by the likes of William Seward, Salmon Chase, Stephan Douglas, and Jefferson Davis. Although his star would continue to rise, at the start of the 1850s Abraham Lincoln was but a minor and unimportant character.

The debate heats up and in 1860 Lincoln is elected President but before he can even enter the office, states begin leaving the Union. McPherson points out that some historians have faulted President Lincoln for not taking the South's threat to secede seriously and failing to address it. McPherson continues to describe that view as seriously flawed. To McPherson, the only thing that Lincoln and the Republicans could do to satisfy the Southerners would be to disband and declare that slavery was a positive good.

As the war begins the South has the good fortune to have great generals in their cause such as Robert E. Lee and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson. While the Union's best general, Winfield Scott, was a relic from another age. U.S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and Philip Sheridan would have to rise up through the ranks by the measure of skill and merit while the conflict was going on. The generals that Lincoln would start with, George McClellan and Joe Hooker, were not very good. Although McClellan thought of himself as the second coming of Napoleon and his fans agreed.

"But perhaps career had been too successful. He had never known, as Grant had, the despair of defeat or the humiliation of failure. He had never learned the lessons of adversity and humility. The adulation he experienced during the early weeks in Washington went to his head. McClellan's letters to his wife revealed the beginnings of a messiah complex."(p.359)

The Civil War changed society more than anything since the American Revolution and maybe even more so. Although American Revolution changed things by making a bunch of British subjects American citizens and the Civil War saw everyone remain Americans, the long range changes seemed faster and greater.

"By the beginning of 1862 the impetus of war had evolved three shifting and overlapping Republican factions on the slavery question. The most dynamic and clear cut faction were the radicals, who accepted the abolitionist argument that emancipation could be achieved by exercise of the belligerent power to confiscate enemy property. On the other wing of the party a smaller number of conservatives hoped for the ultimate demise of bondage but preferred to see this happen by the voluntary action of slave states coupled with colonization abroad of the freed slaves. In the middle were the moderates, led by Lincoln, who shared the radicals' moral aversion to slavery but feared the racial consequences of wholesale emancipation. Events during the first half of 1862 pushed the moderates toward the radical position."(p.494)

Lincoln would issue the Emancipation Proclamation that would free the slaves in the Confederacy and be the first major step to freeing the all the men and women who were slaves in United States of America. But it was only a step and a war measure, in order to permanently eradicate the 'particular institution' the U.S. Constitution needed to be amended. Lincoln would work to insure the passage of 13th Amendment in the Congress and send it to the states.

"Among the spectators who cheered and wept for joy when the House passed the 13th Amendment were many black people. Their presence was a visible symbol of revolutionary changes signified by the Amendment, for until 1864 Negros had not been allowed in congressional galleries. Blacks were also admitted to White House social functions for the first time in 1865, and Lincoln went out of his way to welcome Fredrick Douglass to the inaugural reception on March 4."(p.840)

The Civil War would end for all practical purposes when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. There were other formalities, other armies that needed to surrender, but the long bloody conflict was over. There was a lot of work to be done and, unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln would not be there to lead it. John Wilkes Booth stole him from the nation. James McPherson does an incredible job bringing these events to life. If you want to know something about the Civil War this is a great place to start, for in the years since it was published it has made Civil War history buffs of many people.

*Several book reviews, including Washington Post, New York Times, and L.A. Times, all use that term. (less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Mustafa A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Being a 13-year old history buff who detests video games (yes, you read correctly), it took me 3 weeks and 3 days to read this. That is, 3 weeks of contemplating reading it and proceeding to finish it in 3 days. Damn! Was it good or was it GOOOOOOOOD?! This book is undoubtedly the best 1-volume book on the war that divided and reunited America but ended some of our back-then traditions such as slavery. In other words, the Civil War. It has a good balance of the battles such as Gettysburg and Ant...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a book I have long intended to read. The hard bound edition is 860 pages so it was a challenge. I have long had an affinity for books about the Civil War and biographies of Abraham Lincoln. This book starts at the Mexican War in 1847. The politics of this war shows clearly the persistent greed for more land and the lengths we would go to obtain it. More to the point, many of the best who fought in the Mexican War became the officers who would fight against each other in the Civil War. Th...more

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Jan 02, 2010 Pete Sikora rated it 5 of 5 stars

Any review that starts with "this is the definitive X of Y" has to be suspect. But this really is the definitive history of the civil war.

The political pressure on Lincoln... the battles... the economic conditions... the battles... the run up to the war... the battles... the increasingly impossible slave/free state compromises... the battles... the generalship... and did I mention the battles? It's readable, exciting and insightful.

The most interesting segment of the book is the run up to the...more Any review that starts with "this is the definitive X of Y" has to be suspect. But this really is the definitive history of the civil war.

The political pressure on Lincoln... the battles... the economic conditions... the battles... the run up to the war... the battles... the increasingly impossible slave/free state compromises... the battles... the generalship... and did I mention the battles? It's readable, exciting and insightful.

The most interesting segment of the book is the run up to the war itself. McPherson blows away the (marxist-y) argument that economic conditions led to the war. Ideological and political conflict over slavery started the war, not economic rivalry.

After all, the South *wasn't* a rival to the North - it had only one big specialty crop. The South was just a big debtor, with an economy and social structure that would have collapsed even if the North hadn't collapsed it for them. Ok, so that last part is just my opinion, but I bet McPherson thinks it even if he doesn't come right out and say it ;)

McPherson does show how the free/slace state compromises became increasingly impossible for the South. The increasing weight of a growing North was impossible for the Southern planter class to defeat, either in Congress or - it turned out - on the battlefield.

Or more precisely, the South could win battles, but it was strategically virtually doomed to lose. Or so it seems. Again, McPherson shows how the South could perhaps have "won" the war had the Lincoln been defeated for re-election. But the odds were long - and timely battlefield victory saved Lincoln.

The South didn't know that - they thought they would whip those wimpy, effeminate yanks. That didn't work out so much. But they did know they couldn't win in congress, because the north's growth outnumbered the South's. They knew they couldn't protect their property in a democratic system. The North's abolition movement was winning the political battle.

My only question: maybe we shouldn't have fought it. The South's politics suck - still re-fighting that war. No South, no Newt Gingrich. No South, and we're Sweden or France. Maybew we should have let them go.

Anyway, a great telling. Even if it plows well-worn ground, McPherson puts the entire package of the war together. Not an easy task, and done brilliantly. Bravo!(less)

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Nov 09, 2009 Steven Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you want detailed discussion of battles, this is not the book for you. If you want detailed descriptions of key actors during the Civil War, this will not be the book for you. But if you want an all encompassing volume, linking the battles, economic issues, social life, culture, and politics, then this book will be a wonderful resource.

Where does the title of the book come from? A Civil War song, "The Battle Cry of Freedom," written in 1862. Illustrative lines:

"The Union forever, Hurrah boys...more If you want detailed discussion of battles, this is not the book for you. If you want detailed descriptions of key actors during the Civil War, this will not be the book for you. But if you want an all encompassing volume, linking the battles, economic issues, social life, culture, and politics, then this book will be a wonderful resource.

Where does the title of the book come from? A Civil War song, "The Battle Cry of Freedom," written in 1862. Illustrative lines:

"The Union forever, Hurrah boys Hurrah!
Down with the traitor and up with the star; While we rally round the flag boys,
rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of freedom."

McPherson addresses the purpose of this volume (Page ix): ". . .I have tried to integrate the political and military events of this era with important social and economic developments to form a seamless web synthesizing up-to-date scholarship with my own research and interpretations."

The book begins with background, the Mexican War, slavery, bleeding Kansas, and the election of 1860. We learn about the comparative economies in north and south as well as social and cultural and political issues. Then, as one chapter title says so well, "Amateurs go to war." Starting with untrained forces and many inept officers, the war began.

The difference between this and other histories can be noted in space devoted to battles. Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) is covered in two pages; Shiloh is addressed in 11 pages; 11 pages on Vicksburg; 13 pages are devoted to Gettysburg. But the context in which these battles (and others) were fought provides a deeper view of the Civil War. For instance, a table on page 608 suggests that it was a "poor man's fight," with laborers, farmers, making up the bulk of the Union forces. But McPherson notes that this ignores demographic realities and that, in fact, there was greater representativeness among the Union military than has often been noted.

All in all, an impressive work, integrating the many aspects of the Civil War in just one volume, with 862 pages of text.
(less)

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Sep 22, 2009 Stefanebaugh rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would highly recommend this book to anyone whose faith in the character or potential of America is in doubt. This excellent history gives a very compelling account of the events and political tensions that ignited America's bloodiest and deadliest war. After reading the details of a series of merciless battles pitting millions of unflinching Americans against each other, the awe-inspiring resolve of Lincoln's second inaugural address can be better appreciated:
"Fondly do we hope - fervently do...more

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May 15, 2013 Elizabeth Finnegan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book provides a comprehensive and detailed account of the military history of the American Civil War. Each battle is explained in detail and major political events are recounted to place the events in context. McPherson also analyses the decisions Civil War generals had to make. Social historians might be disappointed as hardships are mentioned but not discussed in depth. Issues such as England's support of the Confederacy are difficult to grasp without a full details about the social moray...more

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May 04, 2013 Matthew Griffiths rated it 5 of 5 stars

An excellent account of the American civil war that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this period of history. The book starts with an excellent analysis of the causes of the civil war as predicated in the Mexican-American war and the formation of the mid west states as either free soil or not. In this section of the book I feel that McPherson demonstrates his strength in discussing the political aspects with a lot more verve than the military aspects.

The discussion of how the conf...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-military, history-political, favorites

As other reviewers have noted, this magnificent book is almost certainly the best single-volume history of the American Civil War. It is hard to imagine that there will ever be another to match it.

Here is the way that I have heard the question: "I think I might be interested in learning something about the Civil War. If I wanted to read one book and find out for sure, what should I get?" The simple, unequivocal answer to that question is "Battle Cry of Freedom".

James McPherson is, for me, one of...more

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May 26, 2012 Theo Logos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, civil-war

Widely praised as the best single volume history of the American Civil War, James McPherson's `Battle Cry of Freedom' comes close, but does not quite live up to that high praise. It has many virtues to recommend it, yet it contains flaws that are closely related to its virtues which, to my mind, make it fall short of the admittedly arbitrary "best" status.
The book's strength is in its inclusiveness. Sub titled `The Civil War Era'; it truly lives up to its billing. It begins not with the opening...more Widely praised as the best single volume history of the American Civil War, James McPherson's `Battle Cry of Freedom' comes close, but does not quite live up to that high praise. It has many virtues to recommend it, yet it contains flaws that are closely related to its virtues which, to my mind, make it fall short of the admittedly arbitrary "best" status.
The book's strength is in its inclusiveness. Sub titled `The Civil War Era'; it truly lives up to its billing. It begins not with the opening of the Civil War, but with the Mexican War and the developing sectional crisis which that war helped to escalate. The first seven chapters of the book chronicle the many related social and political crises which continued to rive the country into two separate and hostile camps, making war all but inevitable. Even after McPherson launches into the story of the war proper, his book is much more that a simple tale of battles and generals. He devotes whole chapters to related subjects such as manufacturing capabilities North and South, the medical situation, the financing of the war, political crises which affect the war effort, foreign diplomacy, and the developing importance of the issue of slavery as an overwhelming factor in the war. He successfully gives the big picture of the overall social and political environment which is absolutely necessary to put the war into context and truly understand it.
The greatest virtue of this volume, however, is its continued insistence on emphasizing the importance of the issue of slavery. McPherson repeatedly points out that while the war was fought for Union, its primary and overriding cause was the slavery issue. Many historians downplay or avoid this issue as much as possible, as it causes controversy and resentment among a large subset of Civil War students who are committed to the myth that slavery was a wholly peripheral issue that had little or nothing to do with the war. Though many of these people may be well meaning and sincere, I believe this myth to be as historically odious and dangerous as the idea of Holocaust denial, and it is much more pervasive and widely believed than that latter myth. McPherson tackles this myth head on, and from beginning to end drills in the importance of slavery as the primary cause of division in the country, the catalyst for secession and war, and one of the primary stumbling blocks to a peaceful settlement of the hostilities. He also clearly shows that while the North primarily fought the war for the cause of Union, that as the war progressed, the issue of freedom and emancipation took on greater and greater importance, until by war's end, many in the North saw the two as intertwined and of equal importance.
`Battle Cry of Freedom' is not, however, without flaw. McPherson writes well enough to make this longish and comprehensive history flow along nicely without bogging down and boring the reader, but his prose lacks the charm that could make the events he writes of come passionately to life. This is compounded by the fact that his comprehensive take on the entire era limits the detail that he can devote to any single battle or personality of the war. All of the important events and people are here, but they are mere utilitarian sketches that mostly lack depth, color, and insight. This is a book to read for an overview, but the reader must go elsewhere for a deeper understanding of any single event or personality of the times.
`Battle Cry of Freedom' is an outstanding, important history of the American Civil War. Though it falls just short of its billing as the best single volume history of the war (Fletcher Pratt's `A Short History of the Civil War: Ordeal By Fire' still holds that distinction), it should be considered absolutely essential reading for any Civil War scholar or anyone wishing to gain a full knowledge of this great American conflict. It has my recommendation.(less)

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Oct 02, 2010 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

James McPherson has created a monumental work on the Civil War and its origins. I read it several years ago and recently re-read the first half, which concerns the United States at mid-nineteenth century and the many political and social issues working toward a collision course between the northern and southern states over the cause of slavery. McPherson is very possibly America's highest regarded Civil War author. This book won him the Pulitzer Prize.

The first time I read this book, I was amaz...more

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May 01, 2011 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars

What great book! It describes and examines the Civil War from political, economic, social, constitutional, leadership, and military perspectives. It covers the origins of the war back to the initial US Constitution, but also the effect of the Mexican-American War, the attempted invasions of Cuba and Nicaragua, territorial conflicts, legal challenges (such as the Fugitive Slave Law) and the various compromises relevant to the territorial expansion.

The book’s excellence is in weaving these thread...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Juan-Pablo rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a political and military history at its best. As many reviewers have already commented, for a one-volume item this is probably the best.

McPherson uses a chronological approach to cover the war's background, battles, political developments and intrigue, characters, and much more. The dispassionate treatment of how slavery was only a detonator excuse (the real reasons are much more intricate) but slowly became a deciding factor in the war is really appreciated. He clearly shows admir...more

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Aug 23, 2009 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

A great single-volume history of the Civil War. I hard a hard time putting it down. Even though it was 867 pages, and a little daunting to start, it turned out to be very easy to read.

The author begins by describing the state of America in the middle of the 19th century, then about the events leading up to the secession crisis (Mexican-American War, Wilmot Proviso, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Bleeding Kansas, etc), before starting the Civil War itself. Then he recounts the strategy and tactics of the...more

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May 17, 2010 Greg rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the best overall book dealing with the Civil War that I am aware of. It wasn't just a bunch of facts and dates strung together, but a well told narration of this great struggle. McPherson outlined everything from the economy, politics, philosophies, manufacturing, home building, currency, and the ‘movers and shakers’ that leveraged and molded these into war strategies, tendencies, and actual battles from the start to the end of the war.
I came away surprised by some of the things that I...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Michael Alexander rated it 5 of 5 stars

THE Civil War book. Many thanks to the blogging of Ta-Nehisi Coates to teach me this fact. Reads like Greek myth or Shakespearian tragedy, but with incredible footnotes. And with an unbelievably good first 300 pages about the politics that made war inevitable, and which includes evidence that demolishes the idea that some unsullied struggle for "states' rights" was what spawned the secession.

All I can think about now is who would play Grant in the movie, and how much of a dick McClellan was, and...more

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Mar 08, 2007 Mitchell Szczepanczyk rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Maybe the best history of the U.S. Civil War in print. The book is a joy to read, assumes nothing from no one, goes through a ton of intricate detail, and takes the reader on a great ride through a hugely influential episode in American history.

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Dec 11, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

WOW - What a book on the US Civil War! A great single volume on the Civil War era. The author covers this conflict well. From the run up of the South and North competing to extend or deny slavery into western states, to the Lincoln election, secession, the ebb and flow of the war and ultimate Union victory - it’s all here. The author describes battles, emotions and people very well. We see the great battles come to life - Chancellorsville, Antietam, Gettysburg, the siege of Atlanta, Sherman's ma...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Jon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Complete and thorough, without going into laborious detail, Battle Cry gives the Civil War account in all its facets. Even though it is part of a series that hints at high scholarly work, the volume is very readable. Of particular value are the occasional treatments of various issues - was it just the poor farmers who fought for the South (and likewise the North), etc., and reasoned judgment seems to bring these controversies to a close. Other highlights include how much the North had been givin...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Haotian Xu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-civilwar

THE book to read for a comprehensive overview of the causes, course, and results of the American Civil War. There are tons of books on the subject out there, but none have stood the test of time as well as McPherson. What stands out to me the most about McPherson- aside from being a superb writer and storyteller- is that he refuses to let a single narrative dominate. In other words, he is not try to make a creative or novel argument- rather, he tells what happens, and based on the evidence avail...more

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May 06, 2011 Brian Leach rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

What a great history of the Civil War and the politics that surrounded the era. My understanding of the time period has increased immensely now that I have finished this book.

Typically we’re taught in school that the North won the war over a belligerent South and not much more. After all, the winners write the history books so this makes sense. What we aren’t taught is how close the South came to possibly winning this war had some events gone another way. The South’s loss of Stonewall Jackson at...more

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Dec 18, 2007 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Unbelievable! So many little tidbits about the lives and cultures of the soldiers on both sides. You can literally turn to any page and learn something new. winner of the Pulitzer prize, what more can you say!

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Mar 09, 2013 Daniel Oaks rated it 5 of 5 stars

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era
by James M. McPherson
This is the most informative one volume history of the American Civil War I have ever encountered. McPherson provides just the right level of detail and background information to give the reader a clear, if not authoritative, understanding of events. McPherson also helps the reader to better understand the major figures of the conflict in the context of their earlier lives. For example, many key adversaries were somewhat well known t...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

6/2/02 - 8/10

Battle Cry of Freedom is a great one volume overview of the Civil War. There is a ton of info crammed into almost 1000 pages. The book itself was well written and pretty easy to read for a history novel, written in more of a narrative style than a historical document. The story lines do jump around a lot and the organization isn't always great. Obscure chapter titles don't help, but the index was very useful and fairly comprehensive. I learned a ton about the Civil War from reading...more

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Jul 14, 2009 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

A very good account of life before / during and after the American Civil War.
It was very interesting to read about the knowledge / experience of the Generals on both sides, and how the Union Generals eventually took a leaf out of the Confederate Generals books - such as living off the land etc.
It also showed Lincoln in a new light to me, and how he dealt with the political scene behind the war - he was quite manipulative in my view and some of what he did was not necessarily for "the country / U...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: 23. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... July 16th ~ July 22nd ~~ Chapters TWENTY SEVEN & TWENTY EIGHT & EPILOGUE (807 - 862); No Spoilers Please	17	38	Jan 07, 2013 10:05am
The History Book ...: 22. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... July 9th ~ July 15th ~~ Chapter TWENTY SIX (774 - 806); No Spoilers Please	10	37	Dec 26, 2012 08:29am
The History Book ...: 21. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... July 2nd ~ July 8th ~~ Chapter TWENTY FIVE (751 - 773); No Spoilers Please	10	86	Nov 09, 2012 06:13am
The History Book ...: 20. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... June 25th ~ July 1st ~~ Chapter TWENTY FOUR (718 - 750); No Spoilers Please	24	95	Nov 05, 2012 07:24am
The History Book ...: 19. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... June 18th ~ June 24th ~~ Chapter TWENTY TWO and TWENTY THREE (666 - 717); No Spoilers Please	15	38	Nov 02, 2012 09:15am
The History Book ...: 18. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... June 11th ~ June 17th ~~ Chapter TWENTY ONE (626 - 665); No Spoilers Please	21	85	Sep 09, 2012 05:05pm
The History Book ...: 17. Military Series: BATTLE CRY... June 4th ~ June 10th ~~ Chapters TWENTY (591 - 625); No Spoilers Please	18	31	Aug 23, 2012 02:01pm

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About James M. McPherson

James M. McPherson (born October 11, 1936) is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book. He was the president of the American Historical Association in 2003, and is a member of the editorial board of Encyclopædia Britannica.

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“Lincoln said of the Know Nothings, "Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty - to Russia, for instance, where depotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.” — 3 people liked it

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Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States #6)

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