The War Between The States: 60 Essential Books

by Clyde N. Wilson

THE SECOND INSTALLMENT of Dr. Clyde N. Wilson’s SOUTHERN READER’S GUIDES distills more than a half century of scholarship into identifying and describing 60 essential books on the topic of the “The War Between the States,” that is, the American war of 1860-1865, often erroneously referred to as the “Civil War.” Dr. Wilson, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of History of the University of South Carolina, was editor of the highly-praised Papers of John C. Calhoun and is the author or editor of more than 20 other books, and over 700 articles, essays, and reviews in a variety of books and journals, scholarly and popular. He is considered by many to be the greatest living historian of the South. If you want to understand the War as the Southern people understood it, there is no greater guide than Dr. Wilson.

84 pages, Paperback

Published January 24, 2019

About the author

Clyde Norman Wilson is professor of history emeritus from the University of South Carolina. He is a recipient of the Bostick Prize for Contributions to South Carolina Letters and of the first annual Randolph Society Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the M.E. Bradford distinguished chair of the Abbeville Institute.

Reviews

[Gregory Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Clyde Wilson's Essential book series. He has done an exceptional job of separating the wheat from the chaff. His selections cover the spectrum of great books written about the war including the argument of whether it was really over slavery. I won't give away the answer.

[Miles Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good; I think a bit too aggressive ion some ways but a very worthwhile collection.