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allygator's review against another edition
2.0
finally, i have finished this.
do i think this was a bad book? no. did i enjoy it? also no.
i had to read this for a history essay -- that will never lead to me liking a book.
i thought this was better than the last book i read for this class, but i still will never read it again. ever.
McPherson is clearly a very talented writer and historian. his writing is engaging, but it's also full of complex military strategy that i simply don't care about.
i'm sure people who are into military history would love this though. good for them
do i think this was a bad book? no. did i enjoy it? also no.
i had to read this for a history essay -- that will never lead to me liking a book.
i thought this was better than the last book i read for this class, but i still will never read it again. ever.
McPherson is clearly a very talented writer and historian. his writing is engaging, but it's also full of complex military strategy that i simply don't care about.
i'm sure people who are into military history would love this though. good for them
robconner88's review against another edition
4.0
After listening to several audiobooks of History, I feel like the general rule of thumb is to skip audiobooks and stick to the text copy when it comes to Historical Nonfiction. But I feel like this book in particular actually breaks the rule a little bit. I will admit, perhaps it is coming from the fact that I have been a lover of Civil War History for well over 20 years now, so this all very much information I've learned 2 or 3 times over. But with that in mind, I quite enjoyed this audiobook version.
Let me start by getting my nitpick out of the way, and that is the book itself spends almost 2/3rd of the pages setting up Antietam and getting to the battle itself. For me, that felt like a lot of background just to get to the part of the book we were supposed to be reading. By the time we get to the battle, it is a quick synopsis and then it's over. So it was a bit of a let down in that way.
I think Audience has to be taken into account though, as I believe this book is really meant for general audiences more so than any large tome of History would be. So if you have NO idea what the Battle of Antietam is, or if you wanted to learn about it for the first time as an Adult, then this is the book for you!
Listening to the audio version of the book was pretty entertaining as well. It felt like I was listening to a PBS recording of "The Civil War" by Ken Burns sans background music. It felt a lot like returning to a part of History I've not read much about in recent years, and I enjoyed that. The narrator of this audiobook is definitely a huge plus and I feel like I've heard him before in other productions on the Civil War, though I can't quite place him.
So to sum it up, I would highly recommend this book to readers who haven't really heard about Antietam before. Maybe you're planning a trip or you just found out about it. But if you are a huge Civil War Buff looking to supplement your knowledge of the war, then I have to admit there are probably better works out there for you. McPherson himself writes a much more comprehensive history as well, for those who are looking for an 800 page tome to read. But again, to be fair, I don't think McPherson or anyone involved in the publishing wrote this book expecting it to cater to that crowd. So in the end it accomplishes the goal it set out to do quite nicely, in my opinion.
Let me start by getting my nitpick out of the way, and that is the book itself spends almost 2/3rd of the pages setting up Antietam and getting to the battle itself. For me, that felt like a lot of background just to get to the part of the book we were supposed to be reading. By the time we get to the battle, it is a quick synopsis and then it's over. So it was a bit of a let down in that way.
I think Audience has to be taken into account though, as I believe this book is really meant for general audiences more so than any large tome of History would be. So if you have NO idea what the Battle of Antietam is, or if you wanted to learn about it for the first time as an Adult, then this is the book for you!
Listening to the audio version of the book was pretty entertaining as well. It felt like I was listening to a PBS recording of "The Civil War" by Ken Burns sans background music. It felt a lot like returning to a part of History I've not read much about in recent years, and I enjoyed that. The narrator of this audiobook is definitely a huge plus and I feel like I've heard him before in other productions on the Civil War, though I can't quite place him.
So to sum it up, I would highly recommend this book to readers who haven't really heard about Antietam before. Maybe you're planning a trip or you just found out about it. But if you are a huge Civil War Buff looking to supplement your knowledge of the war, then I have to admit there are probably better works out there for you. McPherson himself writes a much more comprehensive history as well, for those who are looking for an 800 page tome to read. But again, to be fair, I don't think McPherson or anyone involved in the publishing wrote this book expecting it to cater to that crowd. So in the end it accomplishes the goal it set out to do quite nicely, in my opinion.
evamadera1's review against another edition
3.0
The number one complaint I have about this book is the narrator. I know I would have liked this book much more than I do. I assumed, based on the introduction, that more of the book would be devoted to Antietam. In fact, I actually looked forward to that. Instead, the author devoted barely a few pages to the actual battle. If one looks at the book as one defining the battle as the key turning point in the war, then the narrative makes sense. However, the author's proposed outline (given in the introduction) does not match this.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book.
Unfortunately, I can't recommend this book.
christopherborum's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
This is an excellent background on the battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) that clarifies why it was so important and particularly why the Union success was critical. So many things hinged on the outcome of the battle. European powers based their decision to support the Confederacy on the success of Lee's invasion of Maryland. When it was held in check at Antietam, their willingness to mediate a settlement (which would have essentially been a Confederate victory) dissipated. And Lincoln's decision to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation had been held back pending a turn in Union fortunes on the battlefield. When that happened at Antietam, Lincoln moved forward with emancipation, transforming the Civil War from an effort to hold the Union together to a fight for abolition of slavery.
I've seen some criticism that the description of the battle itself was rushed, but this isn't really meant to be a military analysis. It's more focused on the significance of the battle in the greater context of the War. I found the descriptions of the fighting sufficient, but that may be because I was reading it the same week we actually visited the battlefield, which I also recommend.
I've seen some criticism that the description of the battle itself was rushed, but this isn't really meant to be a military analysis. It's more focused on the significance of the battle in the greater context of the War. I found the descriptions of the fighting sufficient, but that may be because I was reading it the same week we actually visited the battlefield, which I also recommend.
jno's review
4.0
This was concise, informational, and well-written. The majority of the book actually sets up the political milieu prior to the battle itself. McPherson argues that Antietam was a turning point upon which the momentum of the war rested. Lots of nicely inserted primary quotes.
raehink's review
3.0
A concise account of the momentous Civil War battle as well as the smaller conflicts that led up to it. It is clear that either side could have changed the outcome of the war. History is made up of individual decisions. Fascinating.
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