With a name like Henry Steele Commanger one would expect him to be a writer of history. And boy is he!! A whole section in my library is filled with his amazing works.

This one is a two Volume Set - with Volume 1 starting with the nomination of Abraham Lincoln as President of the US and follows the events to the bloody three-day battle of Gettysburg, the highwater mark of the Confederacy. Volume 2 takes us from the aftermath of Gettysburg and follows the war to Lee's surrender at Appomattox.

The works are surprisingly slim considering what it covers, so this is not an in-depth look at the War Between the States. It does however give a gold mine of details. For someone looking to understand the war, its causes and the people that fought it, this is a wonderful place to start.

Highly recommended for the beginning or intermediate Civil War Buff.

There are over 400 articles and over two-dozen illustrations reproduced in this notable collection which is subtitled "The Story of the Civil War as Told By Participants." These words are taken from speeches, letters, editorials, diaries, memoirs, poems, articles, reports, orders, and even the sheet music of the day. Henry Steele Commager, the legendary American historian, covers every aspect of the war in his chapters: the events and issues leading up to the war, the great battles and campaigns, life on the home front as well as on the front lines and in the prisons, even the songs of the soldiers on both sides. You will find not only Lincoln and Lee in their own words, but ordinary soldiers and former slaves, along with ambassadors to foreign nations and women trying to keep the home fires burning. As a collection of excerpts of primary documents this is first-rate volume that will surely add to your knowledge about the Civil War, bringing a more personal touch than you get even with the historical narratives of Catton and Foote.

Just the notes connecting the first person peices of these volumes make for a good history of the Civil War! They're short but good. But that is not the point. The accounts themselves are by soldiers (and sometimes civilians) written as they lived the adventure and tragedy of the Civil War. Cavalry raids come to life. Battles materialize before your eyes. Even the "dull" days of waiting are filled with a vibrance. All this is done, not by "authors" but by folks like you and me. And it is true from the begining to end. The descriptions of the very first shot of the war at Fort Sumpter are absolutely paralyzing! They are from Mary Boykin Chesnut. And there is the Indiana farm boy who got the news that the war had begun while husking corn with his father. His surprise and sense of excitment riveted me almost as though I hadn't known of the war myself before I read his account. From these beginnings to Appomatox, this two volume series is a ripping good read. Buy these books! --- Scott Brundage

Chariots in the Smoke was an enchanting and educational book. It helps readers learn about the Chatanooga and Chickamauga battles but also keeps readers excited and anxious because of the romantic twists. I loved this book and think that Gilbert Morris has a superior way of capturing romance and telling it to the best degree. This book is perfect for all ages above 12.

THis is the best entry to the Appomatox saga. If only Gilbert would write more books faster.

I just want to share summaries with other costomers

Published six months after Custer's death, Frederick Whittaker's "A Complete Life of General George A. Custer" traces the American icon's life from his boyhood in Ohio through his cadet years at West Point, his Civil War exploits, his impressive rise to the rank of Major General of cavalry in the Army of the Potomac and his transition to the peacetime army. All the foundation elements of the Custer story are stated in Vol. I of Whittaker's book. They are supported by the first person accounts of Custer and other of his peers, and in my opinion, clearly define the reasons for Custer being rightfully considered a genuine, homegrown American hero based on his Civil War exploits alone! [See also: "Custer Victorious"/Urwin; "Custer and His Wolverines"/Longacre; "Touched by Fire"/Barnett] My reading of this book was enriched by the fact that, as a Custer contemporary, Whittaker was not only in touch with the the 19th century ambience, but that he had the added advantages of active service as a trooper in the 6th New York Cavalry and access to Custer's papers, Civil War memoirs and personal anecdotes through his collaboration with Custer's widow, Elizabeth. As a result, the book is replete with knowledgeable commentaries on the customs, mores and military standards of the times. Of special interest to me were the final three chapters devoted to Custer's transition from the wartime to the peacetime army [Book Six, Chapters 1-3]. In these chapters Whittaker gives a clear and perceptive overview of the postwar military structure; the social psychology of the men Custer would come to command; the negative public perception of the postwar enlistee; the deficiencies in the formation of the 7th Cavalry; and the intense political intrigues which seem to surround and infect the military, particularly in peacetime. [For a contemporary example, see "Patton: A Genius for War"/D'Este]. In a clear and interesting fashion Whittaker enunciates the undercurrents which produced the "four D's" (demoralization; disobedience; dipsomania; desertion) which Custer had no part in creating but over which he was expected to exert appropriate control. Whittaker makes it clear that it was Custer's efforts in this direction, coupled with his own naivete, that set the stage for many of his future difficulties with the command structure. Whittaker's "A Complete Life of General George A. Custer" is the spiritual and intellectual great granddaddy of most subsequent writings on the subject. I found that, in spite of its venerability, the book is still productive of provocative thought pieces. As an example, it contains perhaps the first published mention of Custer having been offered a full colonelcy in the 9th Cavalry, a black regiment, which he allegedly refused , ". . .preferring a lower step to a lower grade of service. . ." One may speculate as to how the acceptance of that command might have influenced Custer's subsequent career. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the acceptance of command of a black regiment (the 94th Massachusetts) provided an upward step for Col. Robert Gould Shaw, and Gen. John J. Pershing's early command experience with the all-black 10th Cavalry Regiment (and the resulting sobriquet "Black Jack") may well have called attention to this officer and advanced his career. In spite of Whittaker's lapses into florid prose and blatant hero-worship, I found Volume I of his complete biography of Custer to be emminently readable and informative. I would highly recommend this as a "must-read" for both Custerophile and casual history reader alike.

I was given the original hard back by my father Richard W. Walton Sr. (Great Grandson of Col. J.B. Walton, Commander in Chief of the Washington Artillery). Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down, finished it in the same afternoon. I would have enjoyed reading it over and over through the years, but could not due to the age and condition of the original (copyright, 1885) I have read everything that I could get my hands on involving the American Civil War. After reading this book, I feel that I owe thanks to William Miller Owen for taking me back in time. I felt the experience as if I were there. As I came to know the men of the Battalion from day one upon their depature from New Orleans enroute to Richmond VA., I felt remorse in reading of the death of so many of them.

Very well written account of the Washington Artllery's engagements during the Civil War. Describes all major actions from the First Battle of Bull Run to the final surrender at Appomatox. You feel so close to the lives of the troops; makes you marvel at all the struggles and hardships that were endured. A must read for all Civil War buffs. First published in 1885 by Ticknor and Company of Boston. Reissued in a limited edition that is an exact reproduction of the original, with a few additions (an Introduction by Kenneth Urquhart, three additional illustrations, and the list of present-day officers) by The Pelican Publishing Company of New Orleans, June 1964.

This is a great story! All four major characters are strong and interesting. Rooney Smith is adorable. I wanted only the best for her as she struggled to find a better life for herself and her younger brother. Lowell Rocklin (Clay's third son)is intense--like all Rocklin men, and his story is equally fascinating as he is forced to find a new place in the world due to the loss of his leg. Rena Rocklin (Lowell's younger sister) continues to seek security after losing her mother (in the last book of the Saga) and finds help from a new friend, Josh Yancy (Melora's younger brother). Josh has his own battle to fight--low self-esteem and chronic stuttering, but Rena helps him as he helps her and we see the start of a delightful, new relationship. Historically, the book shows the role of balloons and the cavalry in the Civil War, along with the terrible suffering caused by gruesome wounds. I am always impressed by Gilbert Morris' knowledge of history and the way he presents it to his readers. I truly enjoyed this book.

This sixth book of the Appomattox Saga continues the story of the Rocklin family. This book has a great plot and even better characters. You fall in love with the Rocklin family over and over as you read each book of the series. This one is no different. This book contains an event that every reader has been waiting for since the first book, and you will want to read it again and again to make sure it really happened. Have fun reading number six. I know I did. :)

James W. Wensyel's Appomattox tells of the retreat of lee's army and his surrender to Grant. The use of conversations and scenes on both sides lends a smooth reading to the narrative, which also reads like fiction complete with drama and personal insights.

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters were unique, yet believable, and because they were photographers, they provided an unusual, though sometimes graphic, perspective on the Civil War. Number four in a series about the Rocklin family, this book builds on another branch of the family tree (the Bristol's), while continuing the touching story of Clay Rocklin and Melora Yancy. I especially appreciated the theme of love and forgiveness that ran throughout the book. If you enjoy Christian historical fiction, this is among the best.

This two-volume work is the monumental collection of pictures of the american civil war. In total approx. 1800 pages shows us the soldiers from privates to generals and pictures from the battlefield, taken just a few hours after bitter fighting took place. The pictures also covers the citys and houses as well as other important place like rivers, harbours or mountains. The pictural record is accompaigned by text, written by important scholars. Originally six parts, the editors made two volumes of this work, which is highly recommended for any civil war buff, who wishes to see, what he's reading about.

Bruce Catton received the Pulitzer Prize for this final volume in his three-part History of the Army of the Potomac. Catton's greatness was that he combined historical accuracy with poetic insight, writing from the perspective of the citizen-soldiers who fought the Civil War and whom he had come to know and respect growing up in Michigan. "A Stillness at Appomattox" covers the last cruel year of the war, when the Army of the Potomac had become an engine of war under the leadership of Ulysses S. Grant. Although on paper the Army still belonged to George Gordon Meade, it was Grant who was the head of all the Union forces and who ran his command in the field. In this final volume Catton traces the Army's inevitable progress towards its grim victory, through the battles of the Wilderness, the Bloody Angle, Cold Harbor, the Crater, and on through the last months of the war to the moment at the MacLean house when the nation was made whole again.

Like its predecessors, "A Stillness at Appomattox" is divided into six sections: (1) "Glory Is Out of Date" follows Grant as he arrives from the West to check out the Army that needs to whip Bobbie Lee; (2) "Roads Leading South" relates the horrors of the Battle of the Wilderness and the new mood as the Army relentless pushes South towards Richmond; (3) "One More River to Cross" covers the bloody mess of the final assault on Cold Harbor; (4) "White Iron on the Anvil" details the final hemming in of the Army of Northern Virginia into a defensive position around Richmond, including the Battle of the Crater: (5) "Away, You Rolling River" deals with both the Siege of Richmond and Sheridan's efforts in the Shenandoah Valley; and (6) "Endless Road Ahead" finally brings us to the Fall of Richmond and Lee's surrender to Grant. Catton's History of the Army of the Potomac was unique because it insisted on telling the story of the Civil War from the perspective of the fighting soldiers, creating for an entire Union army what regimental historians and the memoirs of individual soldiers had done on smaller levels. His success is due to his ability to create a spellbinding narrative that is more reminiscent of literature than what we would expect to find in a history book.

With "A Stillness at Appomattox", Bruce Catton has achieved the high water mark for Civil War, and for that matter, Military history writing. The winner of the Pulitzer in 1953, this story is still fresh and energetic today, far outdistancing many other more modern accounts. Told from the Union soldier's perspective, this book isn't so much a history of battles, tactics...etc. but how the "everyday" soldier fit into the confrontations and how he subsequently responded to Union leadership. This volume (Vol 3 of the Army of the Potomac series) traces the War in Virginia in 1864 from the crossing of the Rapidan River for the Wilderness battle up to and including the final surrender at Appotmattox and what a story it is! Catton manges to weave the story of each engagement with just the right amount of personal and historical content that makes this very much accurate as well as incredibly readable. Nowhere can you find such elegant writing describing the horrific actions of both the Union and Confederate Armies as they battled from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania to North Anna and onto Cold Harbor in the first part of 1864. His descriptions and analysis of the battlefields and troop movements at Cold Harbor, for example, border on genius... I really felt like I knew how the Union soldiers felt and what drastic measures and portenting doom they went through preparing for and fighting this incredible battle. The subsequent movement to and siege of Petersburg is also wonderfully told with emphasis on the "Crater" fiasco, Fort Stedman and trench life in general... you get a true feeling of the frustration and, finally, the exhilaration that the Union soldiers and generals must have felt when the final breakthrough of the Confederate lines was achieved. Finally, the scene at Appomattox was presented in a completely different manner then I've ever read before...very little is discussed concerning Grant's and Lee's surrender actions...it's all told from the battlefield perspective and (to use a previous reviewer's words) is breathless. This "Army of the Potomac" series, needless to say, is very definetly essential Civil War reading with "A Stillness at Appomattox" the high water mark...extremely highly recommended!

Bruce Catton grew up in Benzonia, MI in the early 1900s. There were still Civil War Vets living at that time and a few lived in that same town. It was listening to their stories as a child that inspired Catton to write the Army of the Potomac Trilogy, of which A Stillness at Appomattox is the third and final installment.

Stillness, along with the other two books, Glory Road and the other's name escapes me, paints a picture of the Civil War few have been able to duplicate. He tells the story of the Civil War from the perspective of the common foot soldier.

Drawing heavily from personal correspondence and regimental histories, Catton puts us smack in the middle of the Wilderness, at the breastworks of Spotsylvania Courthouse and in the trenches around Petersburg as well at the surrender of Lee to Grant.

If you're a Civil War buff, and you haven't read Catton, you're not a Civil War buff.

'A Covenant of Love' is a great book! The characters are extremely realistic, and the plot is wonderful! I loved it!

"A Covenant of Love was written by very popular Christian writer, Gilbert Morris, writer of the "House of Winslow" series. First of the Appomattox Saga, a series about the Civil War in Virginia, this book is very realistic. It is a novel with much history, romance, and adventure in it. Part One of the book is written in the summer of 1840, part two in 1849, and part three and four in 1859 and 1860.

Clay Rocklin, a headstrong and passionate man, is the main character of the story. He is rough and very competitive with his cousin, Gideon Rocklin, and loves to win. Having a restless spirit, he drinks and goes out all the time, which shames his family greatly. Later on though, he finds the Lord and starts a new life following Christ. Gideon Rocklin is Clay's cousin, who is almost an exact opposite of him. He is steadfast, responsible, and at the top of his class at West Point, a famous military school. He falls in love with Melanie Benton and they get married, much to Clay's dislike, since he loves Melanie, too. Melora Yancy is the young girl who leads Clay to Jesus. She is pretty, bright, and loves to read.

The story begins in the summer of 1840 in Virginia, when nineteen-year-old Gideon Rocklin, from the North Rocklin's, comes for a visit. The Rocklins were separated into the Southern and Northern Rocklins, when one of the Rocklins married a Northern woman. Nineteen-year-old Clay of the Southern Rocklins, is in love with Melanie Benton, as is Gideon. Melanie at first cannot decide between them and so flirts with both of them, trying to keep both of their attentions. But when Melanie finds out that she is in love with Gideon, she agrees to marry him. Clay, in frustration and anger, starts drinking, gambling, and shames the family. Will Clay ever have peace in his heart? And with the coming Civil War, will he be able to know where his loyalties lie?

Terrific book, as I said very realistic. I read this book in one night for I was in agony with Clay and was wondering throughout the whole book whether he would ever have peace. My favorite character is probably the calm and pretty Melora Yancy. I do hope she comes out more in all of the rest of the books in the Appomattox Series. I have also read the second book, "Gate of His Enemies". Unfortunately I still haven't read any of the other books though I hope to get them soon!

Wow! This was a beautiful story. I was impressed by the historical accuracy and the captivating story line. It was unlike any other romance novel I have seen. You will feel as though you really know this family, the characters are well rounded. I read this book straight though. I cried and rejoiced with the Rocklins. This book will teach you a little about Civil War history, a little about the south, a little about love and a little about the grace of God. I strongly recommend this book as well as the rest of this series.