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

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) | James M. McPherson | If you only can own one Civil War history, this should be it!

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Battle Cry of Free...

	Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) James M. McPherson Oxford University Press, USA, 2003 - 952 pages average customer review:based on 179 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Excellent work.

In response to some comments that say this book is revisionist history, the real revisionist histories were written a hundred years ago, when for some reason the south was allowed to write the history of the Civil War. All the empty arguments that the war wasn't really about slavery, but about a war on the "Southern Way of Life" was a late 19th and early 20th century revisionism and political correctness. Southern historians recast the abolitionists as Radical Republicans and argued that slavery would have ended, and that "really the slaves were happy." (Certainly the issue of states rights were of central importance, but primarily centered around slavery.)

The North wasn't perfect, Lincoln wasn't perfect, but when bigots have been allowed to write the history of the Civil War for so long, then we might need some "revisionist" history. Some reviewers claim that others give "true history" not opinion, but ultimately it's about our interpretation of those facts. And this incessant need to justify slavery is very frustrating. One reviewer complains that McPherson uses 1990's eyes to judge the 1860's. The writings of people living in 1860 is all that is needed to know that slavery was clearly wrong in their eyes, not just ours.

These detractors love to decry political correctness and revisionist history, but really they enlist both in their attempt to justify slavery and blame Lincoln and Abolitionists for the 100 plus years of oppression that followed. If slavery was going to die out, why did it take 100 years for the rights of African Americans to be honored in the south and then only after the federal government intervened. The appeal to an America made up of sovereign states that are not under the authority of a federal government is an argument made by those who desire to use their "sovereignty" to oppress anyone they please without the interference of someone who could protect the oppressed.

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If you only can own one Civil War history, this should be it!

I purchased Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States)by James M. McPherson upon its initial publication. I am also fortunate enough to have my hard copy edition autographed by the author. McPherson is every bit as engrossing in telling us our history in this book as he is in person and on CSpan. James M. McPherson has a love of history that comes through in his writing, and this book is no exception. He also has the ability to convey history in understandable terms and hold the interest of the reader. The book is like those on site history tours. It is captivating. In fact I read all 900 plus pages in 3 days.

McPherson does a great job of covering events, the culture, and attitudes leading up to the American Civil War. Most notably he writes about the very important, but most often overlooked, "Christiana Riot." His descriptions of battles, civilian and military leaders is first rate. Cultural and political attitudes are also covered thoroughly.

If you can only own one history of the American Civil War Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States)by James M. McPherson would be the book to buy. Finally, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States)by James M. McPherson belongs in every school, college, and university bookshelf.

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Great Overview of a Complex War

Having read many civil war books and by no means an authority on the subject of the civil war "Battle Cry of Freedom" is a great read for an overview of the subject.

But I must state from having also read Allan Nevins 8 volume set and Shelby Foote's three volume masterpiece of the civil war that if one is truly interested in the fine print and specifics of the war these works must also be read.

Each author has their own style and content which is different in each writing. These authors James McPherson, Allan Nevins, Shelby Foote, Douglas Freeman and many others make the subject of the civil war just one outstanding discipline to study.

Have enjoyed it over the years and intend to continue this pursuit of knowledge in this area.

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Essential, Important, & Inclusive, but falls short of "Best"

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.

Theo Logos

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A good single volume textbook on the Civil War