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The Civil War

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The Civil War

By: Bruce Catton
Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
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About this listen

 For a person seeking a single volume to serve as a captivating introduction and a dependable guide through all the maze of battles and issues of the Civil War, this is an audiobook without parallel. Bruce Catton understood the Civil War - its participants and battles - and he unfolds it with skill and simplicity. Of all historians past and present, Bruce Catton ranks among the best.©1960 by American Heritage, Inc. (P)1991 by Blackstone Audiobooks Military Civil War War

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Critic reviews

"[ The Civil War] is everything we have come to expect from the practiced hand of Bruce Catton: scholarly, judicious, clear, and unfailingly interesting. It would be difficult to find a better introduction to the Civil War than this book."
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This is a fast paced book that covers all the main areas required to get a good understanding of the military working of the American Civil War. The reader of this book is excellent and it really helps. I listened to it all within a few days and found I retained most the information read to me (a rare treat for me!). If this is your thing, this is your book!

Excellently Read and Well Written

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I knew nothing about the war and now I know a lot which is why I listened. However the narrator was so so dull in his delivery.

Very interesting

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As a Brit, I felt I should know more about the Civil War than I did (basically nothing). This book entirely did it for me! I loved the style of narration and I found the narrator's voice soothing and charming. Although I should have looked at a map a bit more as I was listening, I found this book fascinating and incredibly interesting.

Amazing

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Narration was very monotone.
Mostly covers the political aspects, very little detail on the battles.

Ok introduction to the subject

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I've read little before about the American Civil War, besides collecting rather gruesome cards in sweet packets many years ago. This book tells the story in a succinct and lucid delivery. I probably should have had a map open to follow the manoeuvres , but even without it all made sense. A great book expertly narrated.

Bubblegum history updated!

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I enjoyed this book. It gave an excellent overall account of the causes and course of the war. It never got bogged down in the details of the battles but concentrated on the tactical and strategic significance. I was concerned at first that as the book was written 50 years ago that it may seem dated, but never had that feeling when listening to it.

Good short history of the civil war

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In this superbly balanced and insightful account of the American Civil War, the author Bruce Catton does full justice to the complexities and ambiguities of the war in superb detail. Written and read in a warm and familiar, almost folksy tone, it covers the root causes of the war and its long-term consequences. The book conveys the often confused military situations and frequently flawed generals, contrasting the competence and determination of the two generals who would rise to the top and after a grim and fascinating struggle, conclude the matter in an amazingly civilised fashion, reflecting their shared wisdom. A great account of a great event, this account bears repeated reading.

Moving account of the heroism and folly of a unique war

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I struggled to finish it because the narration wasn't well done. Tried to speed it up but that just him sound robotic. Give it a go if you're really interested in American history.

Good content. Not-so-good narrator.

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My first book on the Civil War having visited US to travel to some of the battle sites, this gave me enough of a background to put all in context without getting lost in the detail. Particularly liked the narration.

Educational & enjoyable

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A masterclass in writing and narration.. Cannot personally praise the book enough.. A subject as complex as this could easily tie the author, narrator and listener in knots.. This exceptional production managed to avoid all of these pitfalls.. Thanks to all.. Nikki

Captivating

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