This is so exciting. 😁 Even though I’m a grad school and have, at times, a heavy reading/writing load I hope to go through this with you! History, especially American history, is a gaping hole in my knowledge and even if I read 2-3 books on your list I’ll be better off than I was before. Thank you for sharing this with us, friend.
If you can only choose one book from the list, make it Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson. It is supposedly the best single-volume history of this period. Thanks for the encouragement. One area that is lacking in my syllabus is the poetry of the Civil War. I wonder if there is a good anthology along those lines.
Thank you for the recommendation! I just put a call out of my peeps about Civil War poetry. The first poet who came to mind was Whitman of course, but I will try to find a contemporary anthology if one exists.
I like this, Matthew. I have often thought about doing something similar with WWII, but every time I start to make a reading list, it quickly becomes overwhelming. I am still considering it. I think I may break it down into smaller groups and tackle it in sections: Naval, Axis versus Allies, Land War, and finally Air War. I think this might be more manageable.
Jim, I agree that WWII can be pretty daunting. I have read a lot about it because it also interests me but there are so many diverse paths you could take. If I were to embark on a project for WWII I would probably start by dividing it between the War in the Pacific and the War in the Atlantic. Then further divide from there. Still, so much has been written about that period, finding the best books would be a project on its own. Keep me posted if you decide to embark on this. I would love to hear what you come up with.
That is an ambitious reading list. Authors who have made it their study to investigate and/or share stories of a time. I commend your effort to be immersed into an era past, distant enough many don't think about it as America's history yet prevalent for the many political attitudes and divisions of today. How this era, its movement, came to be the reason for so many legal and statutory decisions.
Thanks Stacy. I am so often confronted with questions about the why behind certain situations and how we find ourselves where we are today. It is one reason I chose to read presidential biographies so I could understand my nation's history a bit better. But when I got to this era I realized it was loaded with ramifications for our country that still reverberate. I am looking forward to this deep dive and what it might reveal.
All the better for reading and learning to have a thoughtful response to, or idea of why, our country is where it is - at any given time. We are continuously folding into the current pieces of the past though there is no understanding of the why, just that it is.
Thanks Rhea. It was such an important part of U.S. History. But it is far enough removed now that many people don't think much of it. I think the things that happened then continue to impact modern society in ways we might not realize.
I’ve read The Killer Angels - twice? thrice? - and am thinking of reading it again. And Chernow’s Grant. Guelzo’s book about Lee and Gwynne’s about Jackson have been on my TBR for a while, and you’re spurring me to get to them, as well to go ahead and buy the McPherson. Really excited about your reading plan.
Thanks David. I hope to gain insight into a part of our nation's history that left lasting impacts which we still deal with today. I want to understand our modern state of affairs better and often that means looking critically at the past.
Thank you for the shoutout! This is amazing. I'm almost tempted to ditch my own self-education plan and follow this one 😆
I especially like how, during your readings, you plan to ponder timeless questions that are urgent today, like how societies fracture and rebuild, etc. That's a component I think I'll start adding to my humanities DIY courses and reading plans going forward.
I am looking forward to this. I am weak in my knowledge of the Civil War. I taught 6th grade World History for years but it was mostly ancient history. Thank you for this fun opportunity. 'Berta
I would add Edmund Wilson's "Patriotic Gore", which analyzes the Confederate war experiences through the writings left behind at all levels of society.
Pob lwc as we say in Wales. If I can put a word in for John Drinkwater's plays, Abraham Lincoln (1919) and Robert E Lee (1923). The Abe Lincoln play made him famous both sides of the Atlantic and he was fascinated by the mental makeup of people in leadership positions, wrote about Ollie Cromwell as well. Some great scenes in the piece of the key players sitting around the Cabinet table and their interactions with the President.
I love the way that your project stands as an excellent role model for others who might think about creating their own agenda for self education on any topic. During these days when it’s too easy to just ask Google, this stands as a thoughtful and deliberate counterweight. Cheering!
Boy this is a great list. Some other books you might consider: Lincoln by David Herbert Donald. It was a major one volume biography back in the 90s that, sadly, I think is increasingly forgotten. But it’s a great biography of him and has a special place in my heart as one of the first presidential biographies I ever read.
Company Aytch by Sam Watkins. We read this in a college class in Tennessee, and consists of the diaries/memoir of a confederate soldier. Not sure if it’s read widely outside the South, but it’s a compelling view of the war from just a regular grunt who also happened to be a good writer.
And something completely different — The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove. It’s an alternate history where apartheid era white South Africans go back in time to give the Confederates advanced weaponry to win the war, and it follows how the Union and Confederacy change in the years after the country broke apart.
Let me suggest you consider adding a title or two on the broader range of ethnic regiments in the Civil War as their military service played a critical role in their greater integration and acceptance in post-Civil War America. Historian and Battlefield archaeologist Damien Shiels offers The Irish in the American Civil War, Ed Gleeson's Rebel Sons of Eric focuses on the experience of the Irish in the Confederacy, and William L Burton gave us a broader treatment of the subject with Melting Pot Soldiers, The Union's Ethnic Regiments.
This is so exciting. 😁 Even though I’m a grad school and have, at times, a heavy reading/writing load I hope to go through this with you! History, especially American history, is a gaping hole in my knowledge and even if I read 2-3 books on your list I’ll be better off than I was before. Thank you for sharing this with us, friend.
If you can only choose one book from the list, make it Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson. It is supposedly the best single-volume history of this period. Thanks for the encouragement. One area that is lacking in my syllabus is the poetry of the Civil War. I wonder if there is a good anthology along those lines.
Thank you for the recommendation! I just put a call out of my peeps about Civil War poetry. The first poet who came to mind was Whitman of course, but I will try to find a contemporary anthology if one exists.
https://www.loa.org/books/225-poets-of-the-civil-war/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAOlTdxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe3G2PHwr3g45oYECvHf5W39LBFAREBHtlJRxGZhsTFUEUAMZSmLCtQP5YmCI_aem_9oW366UGds3r5x1ImKtDtA
I like this, Matthew. I have often thought about doing something similar with WWII, but every time I start to make a reading list, it quickly becomes overwhelming. I am still considering it. I think I may break it down into smaller groups and tackle it in sections: Naval, Axis versus Allies, Land War, and finally Air War. I think this might be more manageable.
Jim, I agree that WWII can be pretty daunting. I have read a lot about it because it also interests me but there are so many diverse paths you could take. If I were to embark on a project for WWII I would probably start by dividing it between the War in the Pacific and the War in the Atlantic. Then further divide from there. Still, so much has been written about that period, finding the best books would be a project on its own. Keep me posted if you decide to embark on this. I would love to hear what you come up with.
That is an ambitious reading list. Authors who have made it their study to investigate and/or share stories of a time. I commend your effort to be immersed into an era past, distant enough many don't think about it as America's history yet prevalent for the many political attitudes and divisions of today. How this era, its movement, came to be the reason for so many legal and statutory decisions.
Thanks Stacy. I am so often confronted with questions about the why behind certain situations and how we find ourselves where we are today. It is one reason I chose to read presidential biographies so I could understand my nation's history a bit better. But when I got to this era I realized it was loaded with ramifications for our country that still reverberate. I am looking forward to this deep dive and what it might reveal.
All the better for reading and learning to have a thoughtful response to, or idea of why, our country is where it is - at any given time. We are continuously folding into the current pieces of the past though there is no understanding of the why, just that it is.
This is amazing! I may try to join you on this journey. I studied the Civil War in college. Maybe it’s time to come back to it.
Thanks Rhea. It was such an important part of U.S. History. But it is far enough removed now that many people don't think much of it. I think the things that happened then continue to impact modern society in ways we might not realize.
What a great list. I will be following your journey. I’ve read a few on this list, and have others on my TBR. Can’t wait to read your insights.
Thanks MB. Are there any on the list you particularly enjoyed?
I’ve read The Killer Angels - twice? thrice? - and am thinking of reading it again. And Chernow’s Grant. Guelzo’s book about Lee and Gwynne’s about Jackson have been on my TBR for a while, and you’re spurring me to get to them, as well to go ahead and buy the McPherson. Really excited about your reading plan.
Matthew,
An impressively audacious intellectual quest.
Thanks David. I hope to gain insight into a part of our nation's history that left lasting impacts which we still deal with today. I want to understand our modern state of affairs better and often that means looking critically at the past.
Big. Bold. Brilliant.
Thanks Michael. Appreciate you being here.
Thank you for the shoutout! This is amazing. I'm almost tempted to ditch my own self-education plan and follow this one 😆
I especially like how, during your readings, you plan to ponder timeless questions that are urgent today, like how societies fracture and rebuild, etc. That's a component I think I'll start adding to my humanities DIY courses and reading plans going forward.
Sam, thanks for the compliment. I appreciate your focus on self-education and helping to spread the word. Keep up the great work.
I am looking forward to this. I am weak in my knowledge of the Civil War. I taught 6th grade World History for years but it was mostly ancient history. Thank you for this fun opportunity. 'Berta
Thanks Roberta. Glad to have you along for the ride and hope you are doing well.
Wow! Best wishes on this ambitious project! I look forward to following along with you.
Many thanks Katy. I think it will be a great experience.
I would add Edmund Wilson's "Patriotic Gore", which analyzes the Confederate war experiences through the writings left behind at all levels of society.
Wonderful, thanks David. I appreciate that recommendation.
I just finished the Civil War unit with my son, so this is exciting! This must have taken you ages to put together, Matthew. Thanks!
It took me several months! I did a lot of research and crowd-sourcing. I had a couple hundred books on the list and got it down to 40.
Pob lwc as we say in Wales. If I can put a word in for John Drinkwater's plays, Abraham Lincoln (1919) and Robert E Lee (1923). The Abe Lincoln play made him famous both sides of the Atlantic and he was fascinated by the mental makeup of people in leadership positions, wrote about Ollie Cromwell as well. Some great scenes in the piece of the key players sitting around the Cabinet table and their interactions with the President.
Thank you Mandi. I am not familiar with those plays so I will check them out. I appreciate the recommendations.
I love the way that your project stands as an excellent role model for others who might think about creating their own agenda for self education on any topic. During these days when it’s too easy to just ask Google, this stands as a thoughtful and deliberate counterweight. Cheering!
Thanks Hal. I think this project will help the material to really stick with me long after the reading is finished. At least that is my hope!
Boy this is a great list. Some other books you might consider: Lincoln by David Herbert Donald. It was a major one volume biography back in the 90s that, sadly, I think is increasingly forgotten. But it’s a great biography of him and has a special place in my heart as one of the first presidential biographies I ever read.
Company Aytch by Sam Watkins. We read this in a college class in Tennessee, and consists of the diaries/memoir of a confederate soldier. Not sure if it’s read widely outside the South, but it’s a compelling view of the war from just a regular grunt who also happened to be a good writer.
And something completely different — The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove. It’s an alternate history where apartheid era white South Africans go back in time to give the Confederates advanced weaponry to win the war, and it follows how the Union and Confederacy change in the years after the country broke apart.
Let me suggest you consider adding a title or two on the broader range of ethnic regiments in the Civil War as their military service played a critical role in their greater integration and acceptance in post-Civil War America. Historian and Battlefield archaeologist Damien Shiels offers The Irish in the American Civil War, Ed Gleeson's Rebel Sons of Eric focuses on the experience of the Irish in the Confederacy, and William L Burton gave us a broader treatment of the subject with Melting Pot Soldiers, The Union's Ethnic Regiments.