A Savage War

A Military History of the Civil War

By: Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh, Williamson Murray

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

The Civil War represented a momentous change in the character of war. It combined the projection of military might across a continent on a scale never before seen with an unprecedented mass mobilization of peoples. Yet despite the revolutionizing aspects of the Civil War, its leaders faced the same uncertainties that have vexed combatants since the days of Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War.

In a masterful narrative that propels listeners from the first shots fired at Fort Sumter to the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army at Appomattox, Williamson Murray and Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh bring every aspect of the battlefield vividly to life. They show how this new way of waging war was made possible by the powerful historical forces unleashed by the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution, yet how the war was far from being simply a story of the triumph of superior machines.

Murray and Hsieh paint indelible portraits of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and other major figures whose leadership, judgment, and personal character played such decisive roles in the fate of a nation. They also examine how the Army of the Potomac, the Army of Northern Virginia, and the other major armies developed entirely different cultures that influenced the war's outcome.

©2016 Princeton University Press (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A genuinely fresh, persuasive perspective on the Civil War.... A book that will make even readers with a strong knowledge of the war think about how it was fought and why it ended as it did. A winner for Civil War history buffs." ( Kirkus Starred Review)

Renowned historian, outstanding book

Apt and engaging discussion of the Civil War, with fascinating emphasis on the backgrounds of the generals who fought it. Great primary source material woven in throughout. Will listen many more times.

A true masterful work

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A must-read for modern commanders. Lessons learned in the American Civil War give clarity to mistakes during WWI. These mistakes gave way to WWII.

Alternate view

Lots of good information presented. However though the authors express the view that the wars conclusion was not in the end predetermined, they take the view that the need for the Union was predetermined. There are no other alternatives to force and bloody conflict in the eyes of these historians. Those politicians making the decision to use force and in this case to bring the focus on civilians is to be exalted. The authors do not consider this at all perverted, but include war as just one other respected activity of men. I disagree and think that alternatives deserve to be included in a moral discussion as to the progress and utility of war.

Outstanding insights about the Civil War

I have read scores of books about the Civil War. So I was amazed at the many new insights this book gave me about the War — including the importance of logistical issues, culture of command and of the different armies, the strengths and weaknesses of key players, and key factors that affected its outcome. Though highly opinionated, the book provides cogent support for its opinions. I strongly recommend the book to students of the Civil War.

a very good knowledgeable to the point book

I've learned a lot more than any other book or documentary this book had more battles than previous books good information did not sugarcoat anything