It has been quite awhile since we last looked at the Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War bestsellers list.  In fact, you have to go all the way back to the May 2009 Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War bestsellers list.  I’ve enjoyed keeping an eye on this list to see how books move over time, and the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books list has become an every other monthly feature at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  Readers who are looking for books many people are currently reading and commenting on can’t go wrong selecting books from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War Top 10 as of October 22, 2009.  As of this list, I am recombining Lincoln books with other Civil War books.  The hoopla surrounding the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth has ebbed a bit, so a recombination makes sense.  Usually, numbers in parentheses mark the book’s prior position in the Top 10 from the last time I did the list.  We will be completely starting over this time, however.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Since last time, Amazon has come out with Kindle 2, a sleeker version which also allows you to upload many public domain books for minimal or no cost!

1. (-) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Summary: Goodwin covers the “team” Abraham Lincoln put together to form his cabinet.  Dimitri would dispute the validity of the term “team”. Since I started looking at this list of bestsellers, Team of Rivals has no rivals at the top of the Civil War book pile.

2. (-) The American Civil War: A Military History by John Keegan

Summary: Keegan is widely regarded as a master military historian.  I especially enjoyed his classic “you are there” approach to military history in The Face of Battle.  It will be interesting to see how Keegan’s one volume history of the Civil War stacks up against the others in this field.

3. (-) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993. Surprisingly, The Killer Angels has dropped completely out of the top 10, something I didn’t initially think was possible.  It’s interesting to see the month to month movement in this list.  It isn’t nearly as static as I had originally thought.

4. (-) Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: This has been the standard one volume history of the Civil War since its release. McPherson’s book has been largely in the bottom half of the top 10. Given its widespread use and acclaim, I’m still a little surprised it isn’t consistently in the top 3.  I’m pretty sure it will not be that high in the foreseeable future.

5. (-) Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book covers the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately following Lincoln’s assassination.

6. (-) This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens. This book has been one of the most reviewed Civil War books I’ve seen over the past 3 or so years since I started blogging. The book continues to rise and fall in the middle of the pack each time I take a look at these rankings.

7. (-) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution.

8. (-) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one. Douglass’ book is the first on this list which focuses mainly on slavery and the life of slaves to remain near the top of the bestseller list. So much for harping on readers’ complete ignorance concerning the great racial elephant in the room, or what some corners of the Civil War blogosphere would call the ONLY reason to even study the conflict.

9. (-) Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James McPherson

Summary: This is another McPherson summary.  Many other Civil War bloggers have already commented on the lack of any new insights or groundbreaking material in this book.

10. (-) The State of Jones by Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer

Summary: The State of Jones is the second book in a short while to come out about Newt Knight and Jones County, Mississippi.  Victoria Bynum’s was the first.  There has been some controversy between the authors of this book and Professor Bynum, especially about whether or not Jones County seceded from the Confederacy during the Civil War.  My advice would be to purchase both books and make up your own mind based on what the authors have written.  Check out the controversy AFTER you’ve read the books.

Dropped Out This Month:

This feature will return next time.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

I apologize for not keeping this particular feature going more regularly over the summer.  Now that the weather is growing colder expect to see these lists every other month or once a month if I’m ambitious.  Keep in mind that “bestselling” definitely does not always mean “best”.  Instead, this is a glimpse into what is popular among Amazon’s admittedly large customer base.  In any event, whether you are new to the study of the Civil War or an experienced veteran, check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books List and see if there is something there for you.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

This feature will return next time.

Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Did you enjoy this blog entry?  Subscribe to TOCWOC’s RSS feed today!

Please consider using the ShareThis feature below to spread the word.

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Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: October 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: May 2009
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: April 2009
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: April 2009

Due to the growing number of Abraham Lincoln books being released, I will now be doing a monthly Amazon.com Top 10 Abraham Lincoln Books series in addition to the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books series.  Readers who are looking for Abraham Lincoln books can’t go wrong selecting titles from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Abraham Lincoln related books from the list.  In cases where a book is about Lincoln AND others, such as Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, it was left on the Civil War list.  The books below are in the Abraham Lincoln Top 10 as of July 7, 2009.  The “previous month” numbers are from the last Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln bestsellers list which appeared in April 2009.

Note: Some of these books are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Amazon has recently come out with Kindle 2, a sleeker version which also allows you to upload many public domain books for minimal or no cost!

1. (5) Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book recounts the race to find and arrest John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  Surprisingly (to me), the book is the bestselling Lincoln title this month.

2. (1) A. Lincoln: A Biography by Ronald C. White Jr.

Summary: The reviews have been mostly positive for this one-volume history of Lincoln.  It appears to be both reader friendly and affordable, making it a good candidate for a Top 10 bestsellers list.

3. (3) Abraham Lincoln by James M. McPherson

Summary: This can’t really be called a book at only 96 pages.  It is basically a short summary of Lincoln’s life and McPherson’s attempt to make a quick buck.  I strongly recommend avoiding this one if you want to learn anything new.

4. (4) Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James McPherson

Summary: This is another McPherson summary.  Many other Civil War bloggers have already commented on the lack of any new insights or groundbreaking material in this book.

5. (3) Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips

Summary: This book is aimed at businessman and applying Lincoln’s leadership to today’s business world.

6. (6) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: This book is quite often cited as the best one volume biography of Lincoln ever written.

7. (7) The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by Bill Adler

Summary: Lincoln quotes are divided into categories and presented to readers.  I wonder how many of these are true Lincoln quotes and how many are apocryphal.

8. (-) Abraham Lincoln: His Life and Times: An Illustrated History by The Editors of Time Magazine

Summary: This book, released on May 5, 2009, is making its debut this month in the Abraham Lincoln Top 10.  I don’t know too much about this particular book, so if anyone has it I’d appreciate your comments about what you thought of it.

9. (-) Abraham Lincoln: A Life by Michael Burlingame

Summary: You know a book must be good if a price of $90 still does not prevent it from making this list.  Burlingame’s massive two volume biography of Lincoln has been well-received and seems to be well worth the $90 price point.  In an amazing piece of news for researchers, Knox College offers the author’s unedited manuscript of the biography for FREE at their web site!

10. (-) The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas DiLorenzo

Summary: I am shocked any of DiLorenzo’s “books” (I’m being kind by not calling it trash) made it into this list.  If anyone has an agenda, it’s DiLorenzo.  Enough said.  His attempt to reverse Lincoln worship goes too far in the opposite direction, much like some circles of the Civil War blogosphere go too far in an insistence on the importance of race, gender, and the “bottom up” study of history at the expense of everything else.

Dropped Out This Month:

-. (8) In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts edited by Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk

Summary: This book, edited by two prominent Lincoln scholars, both who have written books on Lincoln as well, offers Lincoln documents along with commentary from distinguished Americans.

-. (9) Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon by Philip B. Kunhardt III and Peter W. Kunhardt Jr.

Summary: This book, a sequel to Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography, looks at how the Lincoln legend grew between Lincoln’s death in 1865 and the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922.

-. (10) 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History by Charles Bracelan Flood

Summary: Flood looks at the important final year of Lincoln’s life, a time when the Civil War hung in the balance.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

In April, I was surprised Abraham Lincoln: A Life was not in the top 10, assuming the cost might be prohibitive to make a bestseller list.  I was pleasantly proven wrong this month.  The continuing popular success of some of McPherson’s “summary” books somewhat discourages me.  To be fair, many of the people buying these books have read nothing else on Lincoln, so summaries are a useful tool in these cases.  I was extremely disappointed that something written by DiLorenzo made a Lincoln bestseller list.  By all means read the book for a viewpoint not at all typical of Lincoln studies, but read with a critical eye if you do click that link.  In any event, the back of this list is about debuts, the unknown, the good, and the ugly.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

There are no books in this second edition of the list.  Look for this area to contain more information in the next Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Top 10.

Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Check out Brett’s Civil War Books!

Did you enjoy this blog entry?  Subscribe to TOCWOC’s RSS feed today!

Please consider using the ShareThis feature below to spread the word.

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Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: July 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: April 2009
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: July 2008

I’ve decided to do the Abraham Lincoln Amazon.com Top 10 bestsellers on a bi-monthly basis since the topic doesn’t fit this blog as well as the Top 10 Civil War bestsellers.  Check out the April 2009 Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War bestsellers if you haven’t already, and look for the next Abe Top 10 in June.  I’ve enjoyed keeping an eye on this list to see how books move over time, and the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books list has become a monthly or every other monthly feature at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  Readers who are looking for books many people are currently reading and commenting on can’t go wrong selecting books from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War Top 10 as of May 22, 2009.  Numbers in parentheses mark the book’s prior position in the Top 10 from the last time I did the list.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Since last time, Amazon has come out with Kindle 2, a sleeker version which also allows you to upload many public domain books for minimal or no cost!

1. (1) Vicksburg, 1863 by Winston Groom

Summary: Groom, the author of Forrest Gump, tries his hand at recounting the Vicksburg Campaign.  Several reviews have stated Groom uses no notes, so this is probably a book I won’t be buying now or in the future.

2. (2) This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens. This book has been one of the most reviewed Civil War books I’ve seen over the past 3 or so years since I started blogging.

3. (4) Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: Quite simply the best single volume history of the Civil War, Battle Cry of Freedom should be in every Civil War buff’s collection.

4. (5) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993.

5. (3) Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, Prison, and the Worst Maritime Disaster in American History by Alan Huffman

Summary: I recently received a copy of Sultana for review, so regular TOCWOC readers should definitely find out what I thought of the book in the coming months.  Journalist Alan Huffman tells the story of America’s worst maritime disaster (for once a subtitle is not complete hyperbole) by following four Union soldiers who were present.

6. (6) The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War by H. W. Crocker III

Summary: There has been some interesting discussion lately on this one recently in the Civil War blogosphere.  The author appears to have a bit of a Southern bias judging from reading the blog entries referenced here.

7. (7) Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant

Summary: At a time when most personal memoirs were full of self-serving propaganda designed to make the memoirist look as good as possible, Grant’s memoirs have been lauded for their honesty.  Grant struggled to finish the book as he was dying of throat cancer, and narrowly succeeded, securing a nice amount of money for his family in the process.  This is another classic Civil War book which almost anyone will want to own.

8. (8) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution.

9. (-) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one. Douglass’ book is the first on this list which focuses mainly on slavery and the life of slaves to remain near the top of the bestseller list. So much for harping on readers’ complete ignorance concerning the great racial elephant in the room, or what some corners of the Civil War blogosphere would call the ONLY reason to even study the conflict.

10. (10) Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public. There has been some criticism from certain groups about Horwitz’ misrepresentation of typical reenactors, but I’m in no position to judge the validity of that argument.

Dropped Out This Month:

Master of War: The Life of General George H. Thomas by Benson Bobrick

Summary: Fellow TOCWOC blogger Jim Durney reviewed Master of War rather unfavorably awhile ago, and it received quite a few comments, including some from the author himself.  Unfortunately, this book looks to me to be an attempt to raise Thomas up at the expense of Sherman and Grant.  If you are looking for a balanced biography of George Thomas, this isn’t it.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

Now that I’ve gone through and removed the Abraham Lincoln books from the list, we are starting to see a better representation of books focusing on the Civil War in this list.  As you can see, there was not much change in the Top 10 Civil War Bestsellers this month.  This has been atypical of the list in my past experience.  Keep in mind that “bestselling” definitely does not always mean “best”.  Instead, this is a glimpse into what is popular among Amazon’s admittedly large customer base.  In any event, whether you are new to the study of the Civil War or an experienced veteran, check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books List and see if there is something there for you.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

This section was reset last month.  Check back in June 2009 to see which books drop out and which ones take their place in the Civil War Top 10.

Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

Post from: TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog

Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: May 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: July 2008
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: August 2008
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: September 2008

I last looked at the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War bestsellers in March 2009.  I’ve enjoyed keeping an eye on this list to see how books move over time, and the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books list has become a monthly or every other monthly feature here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  Readers who are looking for books many people are currently reading and commenting on can’t go wrong selecting books from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War Top 10 as of April 27, 2009.  Numbers in parentheses usually mark the book’s prior position in the Top 10, but due to the massive influx of and interest in Abraham Lincoln in this bicentennial anniversary of his birth, I’ve split out the Lincoln books into an Amazon.com Top 10 Abraham Lincoln bestsellers list, the first of which debuted this month.  Any Lincoln books with a Civil War focus can be found there rather than in this list.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Since last time, Amazon has come out with Kindle 2, a sleeker version which also allows you to upload many public domain books for minimal or no cost!

1. (-) Vicksburg, 1863 by Winston Groom

Summary: Groom, the author of Forrest Gump, tries his hand at recounting the Vicksburg Campaign.  Several reviews Groom uses no notes, so this is probably a book I won’t be buying now or in the future.

2. (-) This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens. This book has been one of the most reviewed Civil War books I’ve seen over the past 3 or so years since I started blogging.

3. (-) Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, Prison, and the Worst Maritime Disaster in American History by Alan Huffman

Summary: I recently received a copy of Sultana for review, so regular TOCWOC readers should definitely find out what I thought of the book in the coming months.  Journalist Alan Huffman tells the story of America’s worst maritime disaster (for once a subtitle is not complete hyperbole) by following four Union soldiers who were present.

4. (-) Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: Quite simply the best single volume history of the Civil War, Battle Cry of Freedom should be in every Civil War buff’s collection.

5. (-) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993.

6. (-) The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War by H. W. Crocker III

Summary: There has been some interesting discussion lately on this one recently in the Civil War blogosphere.  The author appears to have a bit of a Southern bias judging from reading the blog entries referenced here.

7. (-) Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant

Summary: At a time when most personal memoirs were full of self-serving propaganda designed to make the memoirist look as good as possible, Grant’s memoirs have been lauded for their honesty.  Grant struggled to finish the book as he was dying of throat cancer, and narrowly succeeded, securing a nice amount of money for his family in the process.  This is another classic Civil War book which almost anyone will want to own.

8. (-) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution.

9. (-) Master of War: The Life of General George H. Thomas by Benson Bobrick

Summary: Fellow TOCWOC blogger Jim Durney reviewed Master of War rather unfavorably last month, and it received quite a few comments, including some from the author himself.  Unfortunately, this one looks like a hagiography to me.  Bobrick uses an odd notes system which is described well in Jim’s review as well.  If you are looking for a balanced biography of George Thomas, this isn’t it.

10. (-) Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public. There has been some criticism from certain groups about Horwitz’ misrepresentation of typical reenactors, but I’m in no position to judge the validity of that argument.

Dropped Out This Month:

Since we are in a sense starting over I’m going to “reset” this section as well.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

Now that I’ve gone through and removed the Abraham Lincoln books from the list, we are starting to see a better representation of books focusing on the Civil War in this list.  We’ve got everything from the best one volume history of the war to one of the most famous Civil War novels ever written.  Keep in mind that “bestselling” definitely does not always mean “best”, especially considering a few of the entries in this month’s list.  In any event, whether you are new to the study of the Civil War or an experienced veteran, check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books List and see if there is something there for you.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

This section is also being reset this month.  Check back next month to see which books drop out and which ones take their place in the Civil War Top 10.

Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

Are you interested in Civil War books? Read some Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC!

Did you enjoy this blog entry?  Please consider using the ShareThis feature below to spread the word and Subscribe to TOCWOC’s RSS feed today!

Post from: TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog

Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: April 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: April 2009
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: July 2009

Due to the growing number of Abraham Lincoln books being released, I will now be doing a monthly Amazon.com Top 10 Abraham Lincoln Books series in addition to the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books series.  Readers who are looking for Abraham Lincoln books can’t go wrong selecting titles from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Abraham Lincoln related books from the list.  In cases where a book is about Lincoln AND others, such as Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, it was left on the Civil War list.  The books below are in the Abraham Lincoln Top 10 as of April 3, 2009.  Since this is the first time TOCWOC is doing a Lincoln Top 10, there are no “previous month” numbers to draw on.  Look for those in the next blog entry in this series.

Note: Some of these books are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Amazon has recently come out with Kindle 2, a sleeker version which also allows you to upload many public domain books for minimal or no cost!

1. (-) A. Lincoln: A Biography by Ronald C. White Jr.

Summary: The reviews have been mostly positive for this one-volume history of Lincoln.  It appears to be both reader friendly and affordable, making it a good candidate for a Top 10 bestsellers list.

2. (-) Abraham Lincoln by James M. McPherson

Summary: This can’t really be called a book at only 96 pages.  It is basically a short summary of Lincoln’s life and McPherson’s attempt to make a quick buck.  I strongly recommend avoiding this one if you want to learn anything new.

3. (-) Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips

Summary: This book is aimed at businessman and applying Lincoln’s leadership to today’s business world.

4. (-) Tried By War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James McPherson

Summary: This is another McPherson summary.  Many other Civil War bloggers have already commented on the lack of any new insights or groundbreaking material in this book.

5. (-) Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book recounts the race to find and arrest John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

6. (-) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: This book is quite often cited as the best one volume biography of Lincoln ever written.

7. (-) The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by Bill Adler

Summary: Lincoln quotes are divided into categories and presented to readers.  I wonder how many of these are true Lincoln quotes and how many are apocryphal.

8. (-) In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts edited by Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk

Summary: This book, edited by two prominent Lincoln scholars, both who have written books on Lincoln as well, offers Lincoln documents along with commentary from distinguished Americans.

9. (-) Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon by Philip B. Kunhardt III and Peter W. Kunhardt Jr.

Summary: This book, a sequel to Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography, looks at how the Lincoln legend grew between Lincoln’s death in 1865 and the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922.

10. (-) 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History by Charles Bracelan Flood

Summary: Flood looks at the important final year of Lincoln’s life, a time when the Civil War hung in the balance.

Dropped Out This Month:

There are no books in this inaugural month.  Look for this area to contain more information in the next Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Top 10.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

I was at first surprised that Michael Burlingame’s Abraham Lincoln: A Life was not in the top 10, but the cost might be prohibitive when it comes to most people affording it, much less the two-volume book becoming a bestseller.  The continued popular success of some of McPherson’s “summary” books somewhat discourages me.  To be fair, many of the people buying these books have read nothing else on Lincoln, so summaries are a useful tool in these cases.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

There are no books in this inaugural month.  Look for this area to contain more information in the next Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Top 10.

Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

Read more Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Check out Brett’s Civil War Books!

Did you enjoy this blog entry?  Please consider using the ShareThis feature below to spread the word and Subscribe to TOCWOC’s RSS feed today!

Post from: TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog

Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: April 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: July 2009
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: April 2009
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009

I missed going over the Amazon.com top 10 Civil War bestsellers for February 2009, having last looked at them in January.  I’ve enjoyed keeping an eye on this list to see how books move over time, and the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books has become a monthly or every other monthly feature here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  Readers who are looking for Civil War books many people are currently reading and commenting on can’t go wrong selecting books from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War Top 10 as of March 4, 2009.  Numbers in parentheses mark the book’s January 2009 rank in the top 10.  The massive amount of Lincoln book debuts in this top 10 have led me to make the decision to have separate Lincoln and Civil War Top 10 lists the next time I put one of these together.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Since last time, Amazon has come out with Kindle 2, a sleeker version which also allows you to upload many public domain books for minimal or no cost!

1. (1) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Summary: Goodwin covers the “team” Abraham Lincoln put together to form his cabinet.  Dimitri would dispute the validity of the term “team”. Since I started looking at this list of bestsellers, Team of Rivals has no rivals at the top of the Civil War book pile.

2. (-) A. Lincoln: A Biography by Ronald C. White, Jr.

Summary: Ronald White’s hefty 800+ page biography of Abraham Lincoln, released in January 2009 by Random House, makes a strong debut here at number 2.  As I mentioned last time, Lincoln books will see a large spike in publicity due to the Bicentennial celebration of Lincoln’s birth in 2009.  The early reviews at Amazon are universally positive, with all 12 of them giving the book five (out of five) stars.  I’d love to hear comments from anyone who has read or knows more about the book.

3. (-) Abraham Lincoln by James M. McPherson

Summary: The third place book, another McPherson entry into the Lincoln sweepstakes, also makes its debut in this version of the Amazon.com top 10 Civil War bestsellers list.  I hate to make any negative comments about a book prior to reading it, but I’m not sure how a book of only 96 pages has garnered 30 5-star reviews at Amazon.  Most likely this book is similar to other recent McPherson efforts in that it is a repackaging of material he’s already essentially written in Battle Cry of Freedom.  I have to believe this book will be useful only for those with almost no knowledge of our 16^th President.  If anyone can confirm or refute what I’ve said here, by all means let me know!

4. (5) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: Donald’s biography of Lincoln is arguably the greatest ever written on our Sixteenth President.  Is anyone sensing a “Lincoln pattern” here?  This will be the last time the Civil War Top 10 Bestsellers list includes Lincoln books.  I’ll be creating a special “Amazon.com Top 10 Lincoln Bestsellers list in the future to account for the special circumstances this year.  Hey, everyone else seems to be cashing in on Lincoln!  Why shouldn’t I?  J

5. (2) This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens. This book has been one of the most reviewed Civil War books I’ve seen over the past 3 or so years since I started blogging. The book continues to rise and fall in the middle of the pack each time I take a look at these rankings.  I suspect the massive influx of Lincoln volumes will prevent it from rising much higher during the coming year.

6. (3) Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson

Summary: Released in October 2008, Tried by War covers both a President and an author already entrenched here month to month. McPherson’s new book looks at Abraham Lincoln in his role as commander in chief. I will be especially interested to see how McPherson believes Lincoln handled the situation in the East in May-June 1862. Unfortunately, many in the Civil War blogosphere do not think all that highly of this one, believing McPherson mailed this in.  Read with a critical eye if you do decide to line McPherson’s pockets by buying this one!  The only reason this book is not higher is because other Lincoln books have taken its place.

7. (7) The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by Bill Adler

Summary: This book holds strong at 7 since the last time we looked at these rankings.  With the Bicentennial of Lincoln’s birthday having just passed, we are definitely going to continue to see Lincoln books high on this list.  Adler tries to collect the most interesting quotes attributed to Lincoln over the course of his life.

8. (8) Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: This has been the standard one volume history of the Civil War since its release. McPherson’s book has been largely in the bottom half of the top 10. Given its widespread use and acclaim, I’m still a little surprised it isn’t consistently in the top 3.  I’m pretty sure it will not be that high in the foreseeable future.

9. (-) In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts with Commentary by Distinguished Americans edited by Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk

Summary: Another Lincoln title debuts this month.  In this rather interesting approach to Lincoln, Lincoln scholars Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk pair up reproductions of original Lincoln letters and reflections on the man by prominent Americans.

10. (-) Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon by Philip B. Kunhardt III, Peter W. Kunhardt, Peter W. Kunhardt Jr.

Summary: This debut, yet another Lincoln book, looks at how Lincoln’s legend came into being.

Dropped Out This Month:

-. (4) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one. Douglass’ book is the first on this list which focuses mainly on slavery and the life of slaves to remain near the top of the bestseller list. So much for harping on readers’ complete ignorance concerning the great racial elephant in the room, or what some corners of the Civil War blogosphere would call the ONLY reason to even study the conflict.

-. (6) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution. Jacobs’ book has dropped out of the top 10 due to the influx of Lincoln titles.

-. (9) Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan

Summary: Here’s another new appearance by a book dealing with Lincoln.  Ironically, other new Lincoln titles bumped this one out of the top 10.  A new “Lincoln Top 10″ is in the works for next month and Lincoln titles will continue to stay separate until the run on Lincoln books ends.

-. (10) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993. Surprisingly, The Killer Angels has dropped completely out of the top 10, something I didn’t initially think was possible.  It’s interesting to see the month to month movement in this list.  It isn’t nearly as static as I had originally thought.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

Lincoln books  have completely taken over, so much so that I will be doing two separate top 10 lists next month, one specifically for Lincoln books and another for all non-Lincoln Civil War books.  In any event, whether you are new to the study of the Civil War or an experienced veteran, check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books List and see if there is something there for you.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea by Noah Andre Trudeau

Summary: Trudeau’s large new book on Sherman’s March burst onto the scene of the Civil War Top 10…but didn’t stay for long. It will be interesting to see if this one ever makes a reappearance given its detailed day by day account of the March to the Sea.  I have a copy of this one and hope to review it in the near future. Gerry Prokopowicz also recently interviewed author Andy Trudeau on Civil War Talk Radio.

The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein

Summary: I don’t know too much about this one other than that it covers Abe and Mary’s marriage, obviously.  Would any readers care to share?

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book covers the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately following Lincoln’s assassination. Manhunt has been pushed aside in favor of newer Lincoln titles.

Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips and Donald Phillips

Summary: Oddly enough one of my best friends, someone not at all interested in the Civil War, read this book for a business class he was taking in college.  I have not read the book, but he gave it high marks. Others have commented on the good qualities of this one. Was anyone reading this underwhelmed? I’m just curious.

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public. There has been some criticism from certain groups about Horwitz’ misrepresentation of typical reenactors, but I’m in no position to judge the validity of that argument. Horwitz’ book seemed to be hanging around the back end of the top 10, but the Lincoln logjam has pushed it firmly out of the picture.

Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

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Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: July 2008
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: August 2008
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: September 2008

The last time I took a look at the Amazon.com top 10 Civil War bestsellers was in September of 2008.  I’ve enjoyed keeping an eye on this list to see how books move over time, so look for the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books to become a monthly feature here at TOCWOC.  Readers looking for books many people are reading and commenting on can’t go wrong selecting books from this list.

As in each entry in the series, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War top 10 as of January 24, 2009.  Numbers in parentheses mark the book’s September 2008 rank in the top 10.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.

1. (1) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Summary: Goodwin covers the “team” Abraham Lincoln put together to form his cabinet.  Dimitri would dispute the validity of the term “team”. Since I started looking at this list of bestsellers, Team of Rivals has no rivals at the top of the Civil War book pile.

2. (9) This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens. This book has been one of the most reviewed Civil War books I’ve seen over the past 3 or so years since I started blogging. Contrary to my belief in August that the book had fallen from the top ranks for good, it has instead shot back up near the top.

3. (8) Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson

Summary: Released in October 2008, Tried by War covers both a President and an author already entrenched here month to month. McPherson’s new book looks at Abraham Lincoln in his role as commander in chief. I will be especially interested to see how McPherson believes Lincoln handled the situation in the East in May-June 1862. As I thought might happen, this book is up near the top of the list.  Unfortunately, many in the Civil War blogosphere do not think all that highly of this one, believing McPherson mailed this in.  Read with a critical eye if you do decide to line McPherson’s pockets by buying this one!

4. (4) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one. Douglass’ book is the first on this list which focuses mainly on slavery and the life of slaves to remain near the top of the bestseller list. So much for harping on readers’ complete ignorance concerning the great racial elephant in the room, or what some corners of the Civil War blogosphere would call the ONLY reason to even study the conflict.

5. (-) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: Donald’s biography of Lincoln is arguably the greatest ever written on our Sixteenth President.

6. (3) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution. Jacobs’ book has dropped a bit since last time, but still remains firmly in the Top 10 Civil War books.

7. (-) The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by Bill Adler

Summary: With the Bicentennial of Lincoln’s birthday rapidly approaching, I suspect we are going to see an influx of Lincoln books on this list for the foreseeable future. 

8. (7) Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: This has been the standard one volume history of the Civil War since its release. McPherson’s book has been largely in the bottom half of the top 10. Given its widespread use and acclaim, I’m still a little surprised it isn’t consistently in the top 3.

9. (-) Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer by Fred Kaplan

Summary: Here’s another new appearance by a book dealing with Lincoln.  If these get too numerous over the next month or two, I may have to do a separate “Top 10 Lincoln Bestsellers” list.

10. (2) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993. Surprisingly, The Killer Angels has dropped almost all the way out of the top 10, something I didn’t initially think was possible.  It’s interesting to see the month to month movement in this list.  It isn’t nearly as static as I had originally thought.

Dropped Out This Month:

- (5) Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book covers the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately following Lincoln’s assassination. Manhunt jumped quite a bit over last month. It will be interesting to see what all of the Lincoln books do as 2009, the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, rapidly approaches.

- (6) Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips and Donald Phillips

Summary: Oddly enough one of my best friends, someone not at all interested in the Civil War, read this book for a business class he was taking in college.  I have not read the book, but he gave it high marks. Others have commented on the good qualities of this one. Was anyone reading this underwhelmed? I’m just curious.

- (10) Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public. There has been some criticism from certain groups about Horwitz’ misrepresentation of typical reenactors, but I’m in no position to judge the validity of that argument. Horwitz’ book seems to be hanging around the back end of the top 10.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

Lincoln books are on the rise, a trend which will surely continue with the Bicentennial celebration of the Great Emancipator’s birthday this year.  As I mentioned above, I may need to split the Lincoln books out into their own separate list, at least for this year.  Meanwhile, you have a large variety of other topics involved in the list.  Absent, as they usually are, are detailed campaign and battle studies.  In any event, whether you are new to the study of the Civil War or an experienced veteran, check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War Books List and see if there is something there for you.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea by Noah Andre Trudeau

Summary: Trudeau’s large new book on Sherman’s March burst onto the scene of the Civil War Top 10…but didn’t stay for long. It will be interesting to see if this one ever makes a reappearance given its detailed day by day account of the March to the Sea.  I have a copy of this one and hope to review it in the near future. Gerry Prokopowicz also recently interviewed author Andy Trudeau on Civil War Talk Radio.

The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein

Summary: I don’t know too much about this one other than that it covers Abe and Mary’s marriage, obviously.  Would any readers care to share?

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Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

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Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: January 2009

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: April 2009
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Abraham Lincoln Bestsellers: April 2009
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009

The past two months, July and August, I took a look at the Amazon.com top 10 Civil War bestsellers.  Although I’m barely squeaking this in prior to month’s end, and despite Dimitri’s hatred of lists, I’d like to revisit this a third time and see how (if?) this list has changed in the past 45 days since I last took a look.

As in the last two blog entries, I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War top 10 as of September 30, 2008.  Numbers in parentheses mark the book’s August 2008 rank in the top 10.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition. Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.

1. (1) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Summary: Goodwin covers the “team” Abraham Lincoln put together to form his cabinet.  Dimitri would dispute the validity of the term “team”. For the third straight month, Team of Rivals has no rivals at the top of the Civil War heap.

2. (2) The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993. Like Goodwin’s book above, The Killer Angels seems entrenched in its spot on the list.

3. (4) Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution. Jacobs’ book leapfrogged Frederick Douglass’ autobiography for the number three spot, remaining high on the list.

4. (3) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one. Douglass’ book is the second on this list which focuses main on slavery and the life of slaves to remain near the top of the bestseller list. So much for harping on readers’ complete ignorance concerning the great racial elephant in the room, or what some corners of the Civil War blogosphere would call the ONLY reason to even study the conflict.

5. (9) Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book covers the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately following Lincoln’s assassination. Manhunt jumped quite a bit over last month. It will be interesting to see what all of the Lincoln books do as 2009, the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth, rapidly approaches.

6. (7) Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips and Donald Phillips

Summary: Oddly enough one of my best friends, someone not at all interested in the Civil War, read this book for a business class he was taking in college.  I have not read the book, but he gave it high marks. Others have commented on the good qualities of this one. Was anyone reading this underwhelmed? I’m just curious.

7. (6) Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: This has been the standard one volume history of the Civil War since its release. McPherson’s book has been largely in the bottom half of the top 10. Given its widespread use and acclaim, I’m a little surprised it isn’t consistently in the top 3.

8. (-) Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson

Summary: A newcomer to the list this month covers both a President and an author already entrenched here month to month. McPherson’s new book, scheduled out on October 7, 2008, looks at Abraham Lincoln in his role as commander in chief. I will be especially interested to see how McPherson believes Lincoln handled the situation in the East in May-June 1862. I will also be interested to see if this one shoots up the bestseller list. The star power of subject and author combined might mean this book stays here for a long time to come.

9. (10) This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens. This book has been one of the most reviewed Civil War books I’ve seen over the past 3 or so years since I started blogging. Although it has slipped a bit these last few months, I expect to see Faust’s book flirt with the middle to back end of the top 10 for quite awhile to come.

10. (8) Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public. There has been some criticism from certain groups about Horwitz’ misrepresentation of typical reenactors, but I’m in no position to judge the validity of that argument. Horwitz’ book seems to be hanging around the back end of the top 10.

Dropped Out This Month:

-. (5) Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea by Noah Andre Trudeau

Summary: Trudeau’s large new book on Sherman’s March burst onto the scene of the Civil War Top 10…but didn’t stay for long. It will be interesting to see if this one ever makes a reappearance given its detailed day by day account of the March to the Sea.  I have a copy of this one and hope to review it in the near future. Gerry Prokopowicz also recently interviewed author Andy Trudeau on Civil War Talk Radio.

Brett’s Final Thoughts:

Books focusing on slavery continue to have a strong presence on the Top 10 Civil War Bestsellers on Amazon.com. The top 2 look like they will probably not change month to month, and if any book has the clout to topple one of these mainstays, it’ll probably mean the author is going to do well financially. The only debut in the top 10 is McPherson’s new Lincoln book. This is probably one I’ll pick up cheap from a used book site several years down the road, so for now you probably won’t hear much about it from me. Most of the rest of these books only saw minor shuffling. Lastly, I was a little surprised Trudeau’s book on Sherman’s March dropped out of the list so quickly. In any event, whether you are new to the study of the Civil War or an experienced veteran, check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Bestseller List and see if there is something there for you.

Previous Books in the Top 10 Prior to Last Month’s Top 10:

The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein

Summary: I don’t know too much about this one other than that it covers Abe and Mary’s marriage, obviously.  Would any readers care to share?

Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: Donald’s biography of Lincoln is arguably the greatest ever written on our Sixteenth President.

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Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

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Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: September 2008

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: August 2008
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: July 2008
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009

Last month I took a look at the Amazon.com top 10 Civil War bestsellers.  Now I’d like to take a look again and see how (if?) this list has changed much over time.

I’ve taken the liberty of removing non-Civil War related books from the list.  The books below are in the Civil War top 10 as of the mid-August 2008.  Numbers in parentheses mark the book’s July 2008 rank in the top 10.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition.  Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Click on the link in the left sidebar for more information.

1. (1)  Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Summary: Goodwin covers the “team” Abraham Lincoln put together to form his cabinet.  Dimitri would dispute the validity of the term “team”.

2. (2)  The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993.

3. (6)  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one.

4. (8)  Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution.

5. (-)  Southern Storm: Sherman’s March to the Sea by Noah Andre Trudeau

Summary: Trudeau’s large new book on Sherman’s March burst onto the scene of the Civil War Top 10.  I have a copy of this one and hope to review it in the near future.

6. (4)  Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: This has been the standard one volume history of the Civil War since its release.

7. (-) Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips and Donald Phillips

Summary: Oddly enough one of my best friends, someone not at all interested in the Civil War, read this book for a business class he was taking in college.  I have not read the book, but he gave it high marks.

8. (10) Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public.

9. (9)  Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book covers the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately following Lincoln’s assassination.

10. (5)  This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens.

Dropped Out:

-. (3)  The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein

Summary: I don’t know too much about this one other than that it covers Abe and Mary’s marriage, obviously.  Would any readers care to share?

-. (7) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: Donald’s biography of Lincoln is arguably the greatest ever written on our Sixteenth President.

I was a little surprised at how high Noah Andre Trudeau’s new book on Sherman’s March debuted.  It will be interesting to see if it has staying power.  Likewise I was more than a bit surprised at Drew Gilpin Faust’s book This Republic of Suffering dropping five spots.  I thought it was on its way into the top three for a long time.  I am pleased to see some movement in this list from month to month.  As a result, I will definitely continue posting these lists for TOCWOC readers.  Have you read all of these?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Check out the Amazon.com Top 10 Civil War books today!

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Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

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Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: August 2008

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: September 2008
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: July 2008
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009

I thought it might be fun to take a monthly look at the Amazon.com top 10 Civil War bestsellers and see how (if?) this list changes much over time.  The first thing I noticed was the strange inclusion of several titles which have either little or no real connection to the Civil War.  I’ve taken the liberty of removing these books from my list below, and my decision-making process was arbitrary.  I excluded Alexander Hamilton, for instance, and that was an easy choice to make.  Something like A Terrible Glory, which covers Custer at the Little Bighorn, was a tougher decision.  In the end I cut it too.  The books below are in the Civil War top 10 as of the second week of July 2008.

Note: Some of these are the Kindle edition.  Kindle is Amazon’s handheld device for reading books electronically.  Click on the link in the left sidebar for more information.

1.  Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Summary: Goodwin covers the “team” Abraham Lincoln put together to form his cabinet.  Dimitri would dispute the validity of the term “team”.

2.  The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

Summary: Although obscure when initially written in the 1970s, Michael Shaara’s fictional account of Gettysburg has been a bestseller pretty much since the movie GETTYSBURG was released in 1993.

3.  The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein

Summary: I don’t know too much about this one other than that it covers Abe and Mary’s marriage, obviously.  Would any readers care to share?

4.  Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson

Summary: This has been the standard one volume history of the Civil War since its release.

5.  This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War by Drew Gilpin Faust

Summary: Faust argues that 1860s America’s familiarity with death led to massive casualty rates, acceptable by those standards but appalling when looked at through today’s lens.

6.  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Summary: The autobiography of one of the most famous Abolitionists ever.  I have not yet had the pleasure of reading this one.

7.  Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

Summary: Donald’s biography of Lincoln is arguably the greatest ever written on our Sixteenth President.

8.  Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

Summary: Jacobs was a slave, and she chronicled her experiences in this book, released in 1861.  Her attacks on slavery served to further educate the public as to the evils of the peculiar institution.

9.  Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

Summary: Swanson’s book covers the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately following Lincoln’s assassination.

10. Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

Summary: This is one book I’m genuinely sorry I haven’t yet had the chance to read.  Horwitz, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for his foreign war correspondence work, here details Civil War re-enactors and the continuing hold the Civil War has on the American public.

You may have noticed a glaring absence in this top 10 list.  There are no campaign or battle studies.  Lincoln and slavery appear to be two of the more popular topics.  Dimitri Rotov has commented on these lists and the types of books which show up in the past at Civil War Bookshelf.  I wish there was a way to separate those who consider themselves Civil War “buffs” to see how (and even if) their top 10 list would be very different.  I will continue to monitor the Amazon.com Civil War top 10 each month and I will very likely have more to say about the topics which appear here most frequently.

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Look over past Top 10 Civil War Books lists to see how various books have done over time!

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Post from: TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog

Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: July 2008

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: August 2008
2. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: September 2008
3. Top 10 Amazon.com Civil War Bestsellers: March 2009