This past weekend was not a good one for the Chiefs. They finally lost to the Buffalo Bills. Luckily, this game mattered little for the Chiefs in their chances to make it to the playoffs. Liberty won a close one against the University of Massachusetts. Several other college teams lost, like Kansas State to Arizona State University. It is a crazy year for college football. As a result of my frustration with Chiefs, I am reading more Civil War books. Even at the Emerging Civil War, they are finishing up a series on their members top five favorite Civil War books. I decided that I could not pick just five; therefore, I came up with a list of books that influenced my thinking about a topic on the Civil War in the past year.
This week, I am putting together a ranked list of my top five single-series books on the Civil War. This categorical list would exclude any Civil War series, such as Bruce Catton's work on Grant, Gordon Rhea's Overland Campaign, or Steven Woodworth's Army of the Tennessee. The list of books is about the American Civil War from start to end. Feel free to put your list of top five books below in the comments.
1. A Savage War: A Military History of the Civil War by Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh and Williamson Murray
This is still my favorite single-volume account of the Civil War. They provide detailed battle accounts and strategic insight. It focuses heavily on the military events that occur throughout the conflict. The research is superior and has original ideas.
2. A Great Civil War: A Military and Political History, 1861-1865 by Russell Weigley
Russell Weigley is a phenomenal military historian who provides insight into the workings of the various political institutions of the Civil War. These political objectives created military demands that were difficult to meet for any general during the Civil War.
3. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson
This is the classic single-volume account of the Civil War. It should belong on every bookshelf. It gives a broad overview of the conflict and the major battles fought. McPherson also does a beautiful job tracing the origins of the conflict back further than other historians.
4. The American Civil War: A Military History by John Keegan
This account of the Civil War may be controversial for some, with a couple of incorrect dates, but Keegan is a brilliant military historian. His views on the conflict are unique and provide insight I had previously not considered about some battles and campaigns.
5. How the North Won the Civil War by Archer Jones and Herman Hattaway
This is an older account and not a traditional narrative. Jones and Hattaway focus exclusively on the military strategy and operations of the North to defeat the Confederacy. This was a great predecessor to A Savage War. It is a titan of a book, but it is worth the read.
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