Reviews
"Assiduously researched. . . . Vivid, panoramic. . . . A wonderfully concise, comprehensive and insightful work. It is also a heartfelt history." -Philadelphia Inquirer "Keegan takes the long view [of the Civil War], putting it into broad historical context amid history's great conflicts. . . . [He] teases out the Civil War's parallels with World War I with great aplomb, from how troops were mobilized through methods of attacking enemy trenches. He also catches, quite movingly, the essential difference between these two wars." -The New York Times "[Keegan's] achievement is to bring an international perspective. . . . As well as looking back at European influences, [he] looks forward to how the civil war changed European warfare." -The Economist "Notably thoughtful. . . . Keegan's fine book will find its way to many a bookshelf." -The Washington Times "[A] history that offers a thoroughly satisfying account for the general reader . . . and a multitude of intriguing insights for the Civil War buff." -Boston Globe "A commanding history of the Civil War. . . . [Keegan] is a big picture writer. . . . The one-volume approach is refreshing." -Bloomberg News "Written in crisp prose and a confident, distinctive voice. . . . [Keegan] offers the kind of provocation we need to foster a thoughtful and inclusive, rather than a romantic, commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial. . . . When such a craftsman offers a one volume narrative account of the American Civil War, we should pay attention." -Slate "An excellent political and social history. . . . [Full of] important facets often neglected." -The Virginian-Pilot "Thoughtful, incisive. . . . [Keegan] breaks down the elements of battle in the war, noting the unusual fact that they were so frequent compared to other wars of the time, and so intense, and ponders how a single democratic society could produce such a ferocious intensity of war against itself. . . . A cogent, well-argued and insightful book, which approaches so much of the story from a vantage different than that of most of our Civil War scholarship." -William C. Davis,The Military Book Club "Keegan delves into leadership, strategy and geography in his examination of this much-explored topic, bringing his remarkable knowledge of comparative military history to bear." -The Kansas City Star "Keegan is known for his military histories, and this is a worthy addition to that collection. . . . Highly recommended to Civil War enthusiasts and scholars." -The Oklahoman "A sophisticated survey. . . . With fluid assurance Keegan distils the challenging literature that has made the Civil War one of the 19th century's most popular subjects. . . . The precision and punch of Keegan's narrative will please a broad audience." -BBC History Magazine "Keegan, an Englishman with a matchless knowledge of comparative military history, approaches [the Civil War] as a choice specimen with fascinating oddities. . . . Keegan's elegant prose and breadth of learning make this a stimulating . . . interpretation of the war." -Publishers Weekly, Acclaim for John Keegan's THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR "[A]ssiduously researched and comprehensive…Keegan gives us a vivid, panoramic overview of dynamic, mid-19th century America…. Besides providing an insightful description of the more urban, industrial North and the slaveholding, agricultural South, Keegan takes us on an authoritative grand tour of Civil War battles…. He has walked these killing grounds [which] he clearly and knowingly describes…. Keegan pays close attention to the geography and logistics of battles and how they related to grand military strategy….Aside from the cinematic battle descriptions, Keegan delves deeply into the psychological makeup of the leading generals…. he is able to examine American history more objectively and with insights that might elude an American historian.…Written for the general reader,The American Civil Waris a wonderfully concise, comprehensive and insightful work. It is also heartfelt history." Chris Patsilelis,Philadelphia Inquirer "Keegan takes the long view of [the Civil War], putting it into broad historical context amid history's great conflicts, from the Napoleonic wars and World War I to Vietnam." Dwight Garner,New York Times "[Keegan] applies his outstanding grasp on the nature of human conflict to offer a fresh evaluation of the American Civil War….Among the numerous areas he explores are psychology, ideology, and demographics, but most tellingly, the role of geography in the unfolding course of the war." Nicholas Basbanes,Fine Books Magazine "[T]houghtful, incisive, and so much more than repetitious accounts of which regiment went where…. From the first paragraph it is evident that this is a thoughtful work…. [Keegan] breaks down the elements of battle in the war, noting the unusual fact that they were so frequent compared to other wars of the time, and so intense, and ponders how a single democratic society could produce such a ferocious intensity of war against itself….cogent, well-argued and insightful book, which approaches so much of the story from a vantage different than that of most of our Civil War scholarship." William C. Davis,The Military Book Club "[In t]his sophisticated survey….Keegan places battle strategy at the core of his narrative but does not get mired in the sandbox of the mechanics of war. His balanced interpretation illuminates changes shaped by combat, but his analysis moves beyond battlefield outcomes….With fluid assurance Keegan distils the challenging literature that has made the Civil War one of the 19th century's most popular subjects [and] weaves together America's rebirth of freedom with the transformative powers of a war that turned home guards into warriors when citizen soldiers replaced professional combatants…. Keegan's encyclopaedic knowledge pays rich dividends, as he invokes examples, from Waterloo to the Somme, from Sherlock Holmes to Churchill [while his] asides offer fresh insight…. The precision and punch of Keegan's narrative will please a broad audience." Catherine Clinton,BBC History Magazine "Keegan's observations on the human and logistic factor, Acclaim for John Keegan's THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR "Keegan excels at explaining the events and circumstances leading up to the Civil War, and explores how it might not have happened. He depicts with great clarity the haphazard nature in which both governments and armies entered the war. Keegan describes President Abraham Lincoln's frustrations with his generals with such realism that you almost have a sense of being there with LincolnâŠ.an intimate description of Robert E. Lee's surrender [is] one of the best I have read. Here, Keegan shows his talents as a historian as he states that Americans recognize the Civil War as 'the struggle which completed the Revolution and made possible the realism of the ideals on which the Founding Fathers launched the Republic in the 1770s.' AmenâŠ.This British historian has thereby nailed the American psyche's captivation with its Civil War." James T. Course,Times Higher Education "Written in crisp prose [with] a confident, distinctive voiceâŠinsightful [and] amusingâŠ.On matters of grand strategy Keegan is at his best. He comprehends the Civil War as a whole, as a war won or lost in the vast western theater, and one in which the winners were those few generals, along with Abraham Lincoln, who developed a 'geostrategic appreciation,' a national rather than local understanding, of the conflictâŠ.Keegan's own geographic range inspires comparative insights that will prodâŠ.Keegan's exploration of how and why the war was fought the way it was fought leaves us much to ponder." David W. Blight,Slate "an impressive body of ideas for specialists and general readers alike to ponder." Dennis Showalter,American History Magazine "Even buffs steeped in the subject will find value in Keegan's observations and conclusions, especially about the nature of battleâŠ.The one-volume approach is refreshing and, these days, unusual." Joe Mysak,Bloomberg News "an intelligent survey of the conflictâŠ.Keegan offers many trenchant asidesâŠ.is shrewd about Ulysses Grant's ability to leverage 'evolving technologies' [and] draws an interesting parallel between the approaches of Stonewall Jackson and the German World War II leader, Erwin RommelâŠ.Keegan is fresh, stimulating and even provocative." Alan Cate,Cleveland Plain Dealer "[A]ssiduously researched and comprehensiveâŠKeegan gives us a vivid, panoramic overview of dynamic, mid-19th century AmericaâŠ. Besides providing an insightful description of the more urban, industrial North and the slaveholding, agricultural South, Keegan takes us on an authoritative grand tour of Civil War battlesâŠ. He has walked these killing grounds [which] he clearly and knowingly describesâŠ. Keegan pays close attention to the geography and logistics of battles and how they related to grand military strategyâŠ.Aside from the cinematic battle descriptions, Keegan delves deeply into the psychological makeup of the leading generalsâŠ. he is able to examine American history more objectively and with insights that might elude an American historian.âŠWritten for the general reader,
