The American War: A History of the Civil War Era

by Gary W. Gallagher, Joan Waugh

In The American War: A History of the Civil War Era, renowned historians Gary W. Gallagher and Joan Waugh provide a fresh examination of the Civil War, the great defining moment in U.S. history, as well as its aftermath and enduring memory, in a masterful work that prize-winning historian William C. Davis calls “easily the best one-volume assessment of the Civil War to date.” By investigating this crucial period of U.S. history through the eyes of civilians, celebrated leaders, and citizen soldiers alike, students and curious readers alike can gain a profound understanding of the dramatic political and military events and personalities as well as social and economic processes that caused the Civil War, enabled the Union to prevail over the Confederacy, and forever transformed the United States.

New to the Second Edition
To keep up with current scholarship on the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, new or revised material has been incorporated throughout The American War on the following topics:

Chapter 1: The Corwin Amendment.
Chapter 3: Background and importance of the Trans-Mississippi theater in the war’s early stages; overview of conflicts with Native Americans between 1861 and 1865;
Chapter 4: Dix-Hill cartel of 1862; policies and practices of military occupation during and after the war.
Chapter 6: The war’s impact on human, animal, and environmental resources and dislocation.
Chapter 12: Recent clashes over the appropriateness of public Confederate memorials.
Further reading: Two dozen titles that combine accessibility and sound scholarship.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction, American History, Military History

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2019

About the author

Gary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia, is the author or editor of many books in the field of Civil War history, including The Confederate War; Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War; and The Union War.

Reviews

[Alec Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sound introduction to the Civil War, covering an immense amount of information in fewer than 250 pages of text. Although geared towards those wanting a shorter treatment, its up to date scholarship and very insightful final chapter of different schools of interpretation will be welcomed by those generally familiar with the war as well.

[Alex Cork · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gold standard when it comes to a single volume, all inclusive account of the Civil War.

[KappaBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better written history books I've read in a while. Clearly written so anyone could read it, truly does cover the entirety of the civil war and a decent overview of Reconstruction.

[Roberto Golović · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a relatively short book amazingly well put account of the war and its political ramifications. It is quite objective and balanced, which says much about Gallagher's skill as a historian. My only complaint is that the naval warfare is sidelined in this book. Although I do understand such short account cannot cover everything, the Civil War had changed the global face of naval warfare (armored vessels, steam warships, submarines, mines...) and I think it deserves more spotlight.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. It was a complete and concise explanation of the American Civil War.

[Meghan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for one of my college courses. It was good, but I think it was a little dense and it really seemed to drag on for a while.

[Emma Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough yet readable history of the American Civil War. Includes military, political, social, and economic topics.

[Tim West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in college for Civil War class. Was a solid overview of the Civil War.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easily-read, accessible one-volume history of the Civil War and Reconstruction by two of our best Civil War historians.

[Miller Rampenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, single volume introduction to the Civil War. Highlights many topics of discussion on both sides of the conflict.

[Tony61 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars out of Five.

Required reading.

In this concise and tightly written book, history professors Gary Gallagher and Joan Waugh cover the essential events surrounding one of the formative eras in American history. This could function as a text for an introductory college course, an advanced high school program, or as an overview for anyone interested in the Civil War.


Beginning with the lead up to the insurrection, covering the major battles and interaction of the principal characters and finishing with Reconstruction and major themes that persist today, The American War is a short but remarkably detailed history.


Some things I learned that I had not realized: Lincoln won the election of 1860 from among four candidates and a profoundly divided electorate. Disappointed with the outcome of the election, seven states in the Deep South had seceded before Lincoln even took office in March 1861. Maj Gen George McClellan, Lincoln’s first commander, was actually opposed to the abolition of slavery and eventually ran against Lincoln for the presidency in 1864. When tallying up property wealth, Mississippi and South Carolina were counted as the wealthiest states because of the value of their slaves. The South truly expected support from Britain because of their reliance on cheap cotton. Lincoln hated slavery but supported segregation and, to the castigation of black abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Robert Purvis, Lincoln proposed setting up Central American colonies for former slaves.


This book, however, is much more than disparate facts. The authors are professors with a deep understanding of the nuance of many of decisions and circumstances of this often confusing era. The value of this tome is the narrative that is carefully crafted to give the reader an understanding of why things happened instead of just a laundry list of events. Just enough detail is provided regarding the way of life in the North and South, highlighting the differences in industrial versus agrarian cultures.


In a mere 250 pages, one comes away with a sense of the inevitability of the Civil War, and also a better understanding that we are still fighting many of the same demons today. The book is extremely well-written, with maps and grayscale pictures complementing the text. While it lacks endnotes or footnotes, there is a prodigious bibliography in the back for readers to pursue topics in more detail.

The American War is highly recommended and I’d go so far as to say that it should be required reading for every American, easily read in a few days.. It’s short, accessible and thoughtful.

[Mark Weaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short overview of the war and reconstruction that doesn’t quite bring the conflict to life and also seems to have just a bit too much sympathy for the Confederate cause

[Noah Worth · Rating 4 out of 5]

While giving a more articulate and intricate version of the mainstream history of the era, this is overall a good place to start for someone approaching the topic of the Antebellum Period, the Civil War itself, and Reconstruction.

[Kidada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for people who want a concise history of the U.S. Civil War.