At the start of this period there was little action as each side reviewed its position and counted its heads and guns. The North had positive advantages (but not one in General McClellan who is impaled forever in this book by extracts from his arrogant letters). The South recognised that it would have to strike hard to win, but it had terrible handicaps (including flintlock rifles which would not fire in the rain). Gradually the action emerged and with it the stature of Lee, Grant, Jefferson Davis and Sherman. And gradually ...
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At the start of this period there was little action as each side reviewed its position and counted its heads and guns. The North had positive advantages (but not one in General McClellan who is impaled forever in this book by extracts from his arrogant letters). The South recognised that it would have to strike hard to win, but it had terrible handicaps (including flintlock rifles which would not fire in the rain). Gradually the action emerged and with it the stature of Lee, Grant, Jefferson Davis and Sherman. And gradually too the civil war changed its nature from an uninspiring police action to a series of bloody clashes in the cause of ending human slavery.
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Add this copy of Terrible Swift Sword Volume 2 (American Civil War to cart. $66.83, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published by Phoenix Press.
Add this copy of Terrible Swift Sword: Volume Two in the American Civil to cart. $86.20, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Phoenix.
Add this copy of Terrible Swift Sword (Volume 2) to cart. $96.46, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1976 by Pocket Books.
Add this copy of Terrible Swift Sword to cart. $97.63, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1963 by Doubleday.
Add this copy of Terrible Swift Sword: Volume Two in the American Civil to cart. $98.26, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Phoenix.
I decided to re-read this book after having read it new way back when. I had forgotten how well this trilogy was written
Bill M
Feb 2, 2012
The Classic Civil War History
All I can say is that it kept me interested through all three volumes. This is another way to say that Catton had enough detail without being overwhelming, and that what he focused on was the essential. If you are going to read a 1000-plus page history of the civil war, though, you have to be ready for some monotony, which for me resided in the description of battles. I occasionally would have preferred a scoreboard to the thrusts and parries.
