The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3

Red River to Appomattox

By: Shelby Foote

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Here is the final volume of the highly acclaimed narrative history named one of the best nonfiction books of the century by National Review.

In The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3, Shelby Foote follows the events of the war from 1862 through 1864, discussing the strategies of both the North and the South and assessing the performance of the Union generals. The book opens with the beginning of the two final, major confrontations of the war: Grant against Lee in Virginia and Sherman pressing Johnston in North Georgia. In vivid narrative as seen from both sides, he tells of the climactic struggles, great and small, on and off the field of battle, that finally decided the fate of this nation.

The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3 brings to a close the story of four years of turmoil and strife that altered American life forever.

©1986 Shelby Foote (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Very very rich

I think highly of Catton, McPherson, Gallagher, Sears etc., but Foote’s narrative makes the history come alive. Moreover, no other work I’ve encountered provides as much quotation and balanced accounting of Lincoln and Davis as adversaries and human beings, warts and all.

Foote covers battles and generals with amazing clarity and objectivity. He does with an eye toward the larger strategic implications, while never failing to deliver the human drama when bound to pull us in closer.

I learned so much about the war in the border states and West of the Mississippi, as well as on the water. Perhaps I’ve read it all before, but Foote brings it home. These battlegrounds are often some of the nastiest and most intense dramas of the War, if not on the scale of the well-known multi- core contests.

I loved this Trilogy. The Narrator is truly excellent, and so I guess it’s asking a bit much to hope for Foote’s warm drawl to go along with his writing.

A Masterpiece!

I had a tear in my eye at the end. Shelby Foote will transport you back in time.

Best Civil War series

This 3 book series is a must for anyone who wants to know the history of the American Civil War. I can’t recommend it enough.

Great Listen

Everyone should read or listen to this book to get a full understanding of the struggles from both sides.

Not without faults.

Not without faults but a great battle by battle recap of the Civil War. Great audio narration.

Marvelous history lesson

Shelby Foote has written the most comprehensive and interesting history of the Civil War. Bravo. I look forward to visiting this incredible history lesson in the years to come.

Outstanding

The third and final volume of Shelby Foote's masterpiece is probably his best. The pacing of his narrative and the presentation of key quotes and events is simply phenomenal. Grover Gardner is a perfect narrator for this, too - he has a very clear speaking style with just the right intonations to make this rich, intricate work an enjoyable listen. If you've made it through the first two parts (and if you'd like to learn a lot about the Civil War, you should!), get ready for a fantastic conclusion to this set.

#AmericanCivilWar #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

The Narrator and The Books

Anyone familiar with Shelby Foote, from Ken Burn's Civil War Series if nowhere else, would expect a narrator of his books to have a Southern drawl, as Mr. Foote had. The Northern accent and pronunciations were out of place and a little irksome. That aside, Mr. Gardner did a fine job.

Regarding the books themselves, what can be said? A+. Colleges could offer a degree in history from the reading of these books alone.

Maybe the Best

I have been reading about the Civil War for nearly 60 years and, while no one author's attempt to explain that tragic war should go unchallenged, if you read only one history of the American Civil War, let it be this one.

Must read

In this time of discussion on our past this historical 20 year effort should be mandatory for all student to truly understand the civil war