Negative Positive
Title: The Civil War but Not a Military History
Review: It has been said elsewhere that this is the best one-volume history of the American Civil War. It is both more and less than that. McPherson has covered the years leading up to the war, more a political and social history, which takes up a significant portion of the book. The political and social aspects of the 1861-1865 period is covered in more detail than the military progress of the war. This gives a well-rounded approach to the subject.This is not a military history. It is a full account of an era in American history. It is well-written, well-documented, and an engaging work. It is a terrific complement to Shelby Foote's three-volume narrative history and to the more recent single-volume military history of the war (The Longest Night by David Eicher -- itself said to be written as a complement to McPherson's book).
Is the review positive or negative? 