A review by fetterov
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James M. McPherson

5.0

This book was just the kind of high-level narrative and analysis about the Civil War era that I was looking for. McPherson did an excellent job setting up secession and the Civil War, describing the war itself without getting too bogged down in military mumbo jumbo, and describing how the political and home fronts changed during the war. It seemed to me a fair and even analysis of the war, and never shied away from saying what the war was about: slavery (no Lost Cause nonsense here). If the book was lacking in any respects, it could have used a bit more description about what life was like for civilians during the war. However, at 800+ pages and so much material to get through, I can see why civilians got the short end of the stick. All that said, this is one of my favorite history books. It was easy to read and follow, covered a ton of ground, and left me yearning for more reading about the Civil War. Battle Cry of Freedom is a classic for a reason.