Thanks! I appreciate the compliment. I’d love to do a post on first person accounts, but I’ll be honest and admit I’m not very well-read when it comes to first person accounts. It’s something I’ve kept in mind while buying new books and I do have a nice collection of diaries and other books which look at the war through the eyes of those who were there. I just haven’t had the time to read them yet! It sounds like this IS an area of expertise for you. Perhaps you would like to write a “guest entry” in this series? I would welcome the help.

Brett

That’s an interesting point and one that resonates a little with my own personal experience. The first books which hooked me were the American Heritage book on the Battle of Gettysburg and two novels for young adults, Across Five Aprils and Rifles for Watie. It was only after these experiences had sucked me in and held me before I bought and read Bruce Catton’s one-volume history of the war. With that in mind, I’ll look to do a few entries in this series highlighting good short reads, let’s say “the five best books on portions of a major battle”, or “the best introductory looks at five major battles”, or “five little-known introductions to the Civil War period you’ll love”, etc. Feel free to add to that list.

Brett

Just to propose an entirely different approach, let me . . . propose an entirely different approach.

Although I had read McPherson’s Battle Cry eons ago, little stuck. Many years later, I picked up his book on Antietam. I figured I’d re-start small, as it were. Well, it did the trick. The Lost Order . . . England and France . . . that idiot McClellan . . . I was hooked.

Sometimes, for some people, starting small and in medias res works best.