The Civil War/ American Homer: A Narrative (Modern Library)

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Mitchell, Douglas. "'The Conflict Is behind Me Now': Shelby Foote Writes the Civil War." The Southern Literary Journal, vol. 36, no. 1, 2003, 25

Civil War’: Ken Burns series turns 30 amid Breonna ‘The Civil War’: Ken Burns series turns 30 amid Breonna

I do not see how anyone who has experienced war could disagree with your observation, and I think the men of many regiments that fought at Gettysburg would have strongly disagreed with Mr. Russo’s statement that “a list of regiments not mentioned is meaningless.” Shelby Foote, (born November 17, 1916, Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.—died June 27, 2005, Memphis, Tennessee), American historian, novelist, and short-story writer known for his works treating the United States Civil War and the American South. However, he also spends a large amount of time on internal politics, generally machinations within the US or Confederate government that are about personal power rather than any greater good, and this is where the book tends to get bogged down. Maybe Foote unearthed all this material and felt like anything he found needed to be put on the record and published rather than potentially lost forever. Maybe it’s just me, enjoying the military aspect far more than the political one. Jones, John Griffin (July 16, 1982). Mississippi Writers Talking: Interviews with Eudora Welty, Shelby Foote, Elizabeth Spencer, Barry Hannah, Beth Henley. University Press of Mississippi. p.39. ISBN 9780878051540 . Retrieved July 16, 2018– via Google Books. Foote did all his writing by hand with a nib pen, later transcribing the result into a typewritten copy. [4] [5] While Foote's work was mostly well-received during his lifetime, it has been criticized by professional historians and academics in the 21st century. [6] [7] [8] [9] Early life [ edit ]I certainly got what I was looking for in terms of getting a much better understanding of the progression of the war and can now associate these battles I've known the names of for decades within the larger scope of the overall war and the ebb and flow of momentum on each side over the years of the war. Reading this history makes me want to visit these battlefields more than ever. The author above, in her short essay here, seems to have a shallow understanding of what is wrong with Ken Burns shallow portrayal of the Civil War. And to be honest, it comes off as a well written paper for a College Sophomore History class.

The Civil War: A Narrative - 3 Volume Box Set: Foote, Shelby

I hope in the future there are more documentary’s on the civil war. Would I watch a “academic scholar” drone on and on and on about his thoughts and perspectives; No. Good history and really good historians may be our best hope for escaping the ruts of the cannonades and wagon trains that preceded us. There's certainly nothing wrong with this trilogy's writing style. Foote goes into great detail and makes the time live and breathe. It is a classic history; if it were about half as long it would be better known, but it wouldn't go into the depth of detail that makes it unique. In 2003, Foote received the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award. The Helmerich Award is presented annually by the Tulsa Library Trust. His first novel, "Tournament" (1949), was followed by two more books set in Mississippi and colored by fatalism, "Follow Me Down (1950) and "Love in a Dry Season" (1951).

Customer reviews

We desperately need a new Civil War documentary that can be seen by broad swathes of the American public. Because film is such an emotionally resonant medium, and such a wonderful means of bringing a scholarly subject to the general public, it is imperative that true experts of Civil War era and slavery studies use this medium to (re)educate the American people about our own history. Williams, Wirt. "Shelby Foote's" Civil War:" The Novelist as Humanistic Historian." The Mississippi Quarterly 24.4 (1971): 429–436. I doubt anyone who reads this will ever again think of the principal actors -- Lincoln, Davis, Stanton, Grant, Lee, McClellan, "Stonewall," and many others -- without seeing them in the light cast by Foote. He measures all and spares none. Just one example: you'd think that Lee would tower above the others in a true Southerner's treatment. Not so. Foote details many faults in Lee's personality, abilities, and actions. Fred L. Schultz, "An interview with Shelby Foote: 'All life has a plot'." Naval History 8.5 (1994): 36–39. In 1993, Richard N. Current argued that Foote too often depended on a single, unsupported source for lifelike details, but "probably is as accurate as most historians... Foote's monumental narrative most likely will continue to be read and remembered as a classic of its kind." [70]