The American Heritage Short History of the Civil War

by Bruce Catton

The Civil war is the thing that makes America different. It was our most tremendous experience, and it's not quite like anything that ever happened to anyone else. The story of the war needs retelling because it helped to shape the future of the human race.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, American Civil War, American History, United States, War

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Bruce Catton was a distinguished American historian and journalist, best known for his influential writings on the American Civil War. Renowned for his narrative style, Catton brought history to life through richly drawn characters, vivid battlefield descriptions, and a deep understanding of the political and emotional forces that shaped the era. His accessible yet meticulously researched books made him one of the most popular historians of the twentieth century.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.

Reviews

[William Winkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it's hard to cram the entire Civil War into a space this small, Catton does an admirable job. His tone is clear, his explanations sensible and simple. He hits the high points, is careful to weave in factors such as economics and social aspects, and even drops a bit of humor every now and then. I appreciate how he not only explains things like the local ramifications of Vicksburg and Gettysburg, their impact on the South's fighting force and such, but also broadens the discussion by explaining how those events kept Europe out of the war, thus dooming the Rebels from their inability to produce the materials necessary for a sustained conflict.

In a treatment this concise, there's no time for the reader to form much emotional connection to the cast of myriad characters. This isn't a page-turner, per se. Hence my four stars rather than five. But if you want a quick, adept look at the Civil War, I've yet to find a better book for the task.

[bup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I found this entirely objective. How can a book about the Civil War be objective? It was a war about what is right. Catton didn't shy away from that, either, but magically produced a good primer without creating the effect of making a moral pronouncement himself.

The book will satisfy those interested in the causes of the war, those interested in political processes, those interested in the downfall of slavery, and those interested in military tactics.

The only downside is this book may be a bit hard to find. Try a coffee shop with a generous 'take a book/leave a book' collection while you're on a road trip. That worked for me.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like his account in "Gettysburg: The Final Fury", this is a fairly bare-bones overview of the entire war. It's like a much leaner version of Shelby Foote's narrative. Overall, it is a good and quick overview.

[James Howald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a clear, easily read summary of the great war. An incredible story, seriously, someone should make a movie or at least a good documentary about this subject!

[Deb Bartram · Rating 5 out of 5]

One if the best books I ever had to read in high school. Very engaging!

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Here was the greatest and most moving chapter in American history, a blending of meanness and greatness, an ending and a beginning. It came out of what men were, but it did not go as men had planned.”

I am interested in the American Civil War and have read many volumes on it. This short history is a good overview of the Civil War and will pique interests in wanting more.

I knew the stories in this book but I still like to review what I already know. It is important to get different author’s views on what happened and what the causes and what the failures were in fighting brother versus brother.

I was pleased in Mr. Catton’s views for the most part. I disagree on his assessment of General Sherman, but this book was written originally in the 1960’s and the new information we have now was not available at the time.

I can highly recommend this book for anyone that wants a quick read and to touch the bases on this conflict without going into too much depth. There are better books out there to do that. I can highly recommend Shelby Foote’s three-volume set on the Civil War.

I checked this book out from the local library and do support our libraries.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a time in the 1950s and 1960s when Bruce Catton was THE writer about the American Civil War. His 3 volume history of the Army Of The Potomac ( including the Pulitzer - winning “A Stillness at Appomattox “), his two volume study of Grant, “Grant Moves South” and “Grant Takes Command” ( which he completed from the notes of Lloyd Lewis, who died after publishing the first volume, “Captain Sam Grant”.) and his 3 volume Centennial History Of the Civil War, are all characterized by great erudition and respect for sources, penetrating insights, and elegant writing. Since his death he has fallen out of favor a bit, being superseded by Shelby Foote, James MacPherson, and Stephen W. Sears among others. It’s a shame, as Catton still has a lot to offer.

Among his many pursuits, Catton was a senior editor at American Heritage Magazine. In the early 1960s he wrote the text for and oversaw the publication of a lavishly Illustrated one volume history of the war under the American Heritage imprimatur. That book became a staple of schools, libraries, and coffee tables everywhere, and remains in print to this day. In fact, the most recent edition was revised by James MacPherson, who in his forward states that most of his revision work consisted of re-reading Catton’s text with immense pleasure and making only a few, very minor changes.

This edition is the text of the American Heritage Short History, minus the illustrations. It is intended to provide a broad overview of the war with the hope that readers would pursue more exhaustive reading about things touched on briefly because of space limitations. It succeeds marvelously in achieving that aim. Catton achieves lucidity and clarity in his overview, with moments of superb writing. The book is not MacPherson’s “Battle Cry Of Freedom” nor did it ever intend to be. Taken on its own terms, it is exactly what it should be - a beautifully written primer on this most complicated of subjects.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent brief overview of a very complex subject. I had kept this book from my high school Expansion/Civil War class, so I read it mostly for nostalgia's sake. Some of Bruce Catton's writing and statements seem a bit dated to modern sensibilities (this book was written in 1960); that said, I am about to read Fletcher Pratt's 1948 'short history'. Maps and diagrams, which Pratt's and Stokesbury's (1995) short histories have, would have been helpful.

In general I prefer primary sources (I have read Frederick Douglass and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, and plan to read the memoirs of Sherman, Longstreet, Fremantle, and Grant), but of course memoirs deal with only a slice of history, presented as each individual chooses, and for the 'big picture' I needed an overview.

[John Riselvato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even in this brief edition of the events, I acquired more insight in the war and the two sides than my entire eduction in school. It's really incredible what our country has gone through. I am in a deep melancholy now.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is why people don't like history. They wanted to keep this book short. So they cut out anything interesting. This battle happened. It went well for the North. Then this battle happened. It went well for the South. Etc. No richness, no personalities, just a list of events. Hard going.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short refresher on the conflict, as I've certainly read my share of both his and many other notable historians during my education, both undergraduate and beyond. I wonder how avidly students now take to the topic, but when I was young you got a mighty good dose of it just about every year.

[David Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fair and very informative treatment of the civil war.

[Al Menaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, an overview. Some good insights.

[Jean Dupenloup · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s obviously hard to fit something as large and complex as the civil war in a short book, but Bruce Catton has done a fine job.

Covering the key political, economic, social, and military events of the war, Mr. Catton retraces the broad lines of one of the country’s most horrific tragedies.

A worthy read if you’re looking for a quick refresher on the basics!

[Paul Meijer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time reading this book; it's a shortened summary of his already summarized "Civil War" which I also own. This time around I appreciated the backstories on the economic issues that ultimately plagued the South. While this book leaves the very detailed info on specific battles to other Catton books, it does provide enough of a background to let the reader understand the events which brought about the end of the war.