James M. McPherson, professor emeritus of U.S. history at Princeton, is one of the foremost scholars of the Civil War. In this informative and meticulously researched masterpiece, he clarifies the differing ways of life and philosophy that led to this shattering conflict. Abraham Lincoln wondered whether in a free government the minority have the right to break up the government. Jefferson Davis felt forced to take up arms to guarantee his states rights. McPherson merges the words of these men and other political luminaries, housewives, and soldiers from both armies with his own concise analysis of the war to create a story as compelling as any novel. Battle Cry of Freedom vividly traces how a new nation was forged when a war both sides were sure would amount to little dragged for four years and cost more American lives than all other wars combined. Narrator Jonathan Davis powerful reading brings to life the many voices of the Civil War
Download and start listening now!
"I thought then, and think now, that this is the finest one volume history of The Civil War. I might be persuaded to go further and say it's the finest history of The Civil War, period. Great book, incredible story, and written as such as opposed to a dry recitation of facts. Gifted writer. "
— Rich (4 out of 5 stars)
" First rate one-volume history of the Civil War. I listened to the recording, which is excellent, but then bought the book because I wanted to read some parts again. "
— Anne, 7/20/2011" Civil war history isn't my favorite area. However, the Oxford series of history books has a way of drawing me. There's lots of little tidbits in this book that was previously unknown to me. All in all a good read. "
— Kmarion, 5/10/2011" I have the illustrated edition, which is the size of a small barn. This book is so huge that I don't really read it, I dip into it from time to time to check facts and impressions. It's an encyclopedia of the Civil War, a great one-volume history of that enormous conflict. "
— Carol, 4/22/2011" I read Chapters 1-5, 7, 11, 15, 20-22, and 24-28.<br/><br/>Lovingly written, and full of fascinating primary sources. "
— Skye, 4/5/2011" Well written and thought provoking James McPherson did a great job of giving a sweeping narrative of the civil war time period. He does a good job portraying the complexity of the conflict, showing multiple overlapping themes and how they interacted to create such devastating results. "
— Jp, 3/4/2011" Probably the best single volume on the Civil War period of American history that I've read. "
— John, 2/27/2011" Great book. This is a tome. Over 800 pages. So its a pretty big commitment. There are a lot of descriptions of battles and military positioning, which is entirely appropriate for a survey of the Civil War. But it can drag on a bit. That said, McPherson writes beautifully. "
— Ben, 2/17/2011" Awesome- this is the one book to read about the American Civil War. "
— David, 1/23/2011" Most comprehensive single book on the U.S. Civil War "
— Richard, 1/16/2011" It's really the best single volume work on the American Civil War. I should reread this one. "
— Lisa, 1/5/2011" Has a great balance of a wealth of information contained in a well constructed and easy to understand narrative.<br/> "
— Katy, 12/18/2010" Hugely insightful and well written telling of the events leading up to the Civil War. "
— John, 6/26/2010James M. McPherson is the George Henry Davis ‘86 Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University. America’s leading historian of the Civil War, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, which was a New York Times bestseller, and the Lincoln Prize for For Cause and Comrades.
Jonathan Davis has been inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. A three-time recipient and fourteen-time nominee of the Audie Award, he has earned accolades for his narration from the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Booklist, the Audio Publishers Association, AudioFile magazine, and USA Today. He has narrated a variety of bestsellers and award-winners for top publishing houses. He also narrated over forty titles of the Star Wars franchise for Lucasfilm Ltd./PRH Audio, including several iconic movie tie-ins, has participated with Star Wars Celebration, and has built a significant fan base. His work as a narrator includes films and programming for National Geographic Television, NOVA, PBS, VH1, and Francis Ford Coppola. He grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.