This is the third of the three books in Catton’s American Civil War Trilogy. It covers from 1864 to the end of the war. As with the other two volumes, it provided me with a new perspective on the Civil War.
What did I learn?
- Braxton Bragg was a lousy general. Which makes me wonder why Fort Bragg is not only named after a Confederate general but a lousy Confederate general.
- Sherman’s “march to the sea” was instrumental in ending the war. But it was made possible by the attrition in the Confederate and massive resource advantages of the North that wore the South down.
- In 1864, as in the previous years of the war, poor military leadership on both sides prolonged the war. In hindsight this war should have lasted a year. Two years tops.
- Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves as an act that was necessary to win the war but was personally in favor of exiling all Negroes to a remote land. When that proved infeasible he reluctantly accepted that they must become full citizens, complete with equal education and the right to vote (for the men).
- Full equality for Negroes was a bridge too far for most Northerners and nearly all Southerners. When Lincoln was assassinated, the idea of full equality died with him. And that is still an issue for the US some 180 years later.
This trilogy is long – almost 1,500 pages. But it is well-written and it was a pleasure to read. Informative and pleasurable – a good combination.
8 out of 10.