Mr. Lincoln's Army

By: Bruce Catton

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

A magnificent history of the opening years of the Civil War by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bruce Catton.

The first book in Bruce Catton's Pulitzer Prize-winning Army of the Potomac Trilogy, Mr. Lincoln's Army is a riveting history of the early years of the Civil War, when a fledgling Union Army took its stumbling first steps under the command of the controversial general George McClellan. Following the secession of the Southern states, a beleaguered President Abraham Lincoln entrusted the dashing, charismatic McClellan with the creation of the Union's Army of the Potomac and the responsibility of leading it to a swift and decisive victory against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Although a brilliant tactician who was beloved by his troops and embraced by the hero-hungry North, McClellan's ego and ambition ultimately put him at loggerheads with his commander in chief - a man McClellan considered unworthy of the presidency.

McClellan's weaknesses were exposed during the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American military history, which ended in a stalemate even though the Confederate troops were greatly outnumbered. After Antietam, Lincoln ordered McClellan's removal from command, and the Union entered the war's next chapter having suffered thousands of casualties and with great uncertainty ahead.

America's premier chronicler of the nation's brutal internecine conflict, Bruce Catton is renowned for his unparalleled ability to bring a detailed and vivid immediacy to Civil War battlefields and military strategy sessions. With tremendous depth and insight, he presents legendary commanders and common soldiers in all their complex and heartbreaking humanity.

©1951, 1962 Bruce Catton (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Outstanding

It is a great book for those looking for information on the Army of the Potomac

Hagiography be damned - this is a fine narrative

Although much historiography has rendered some Catton’s cannon passe this still holds as a finely crafted narrative that all American history enthusiasts should indulge. Perfectly enjoyable.

Great story, need a better narrator

like others have mentioned, the announciation of words and sentences is a bit much. the mispronounciation of names and places is hard to listen to without being bothered. In on paragraph the narrator pronounces a name 2 different ways.
the story itself is fantastic. Shedding light on many unthought things, such as the management of the supply trains, and the camp equipage. A very vivid telling of Anteitam. Fantastic!

Hands down the beat civil history I have ever read

For whatever reason, I’ve never heard of Bruce. His command of the facts– letters from all parties involved, contemporaneous materials, politics of the day, and so much more – all combined with some of the best rating I’ve ever read in any history make this book superlative.

Catton Classic

Loved every bit of this classic. Crucial understanding of The Army of the Potomac and its role in the opening months of the American Civil War.