The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3

Red River to Appomattox

By: Shelby Foote

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Here is the final volume of the highly acclaimed narrative history named one of the best nonfiction books of the century by National Review.

In The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3, Shelby Foote follows the events of the war from 1862 through 1864, discussing the strategies of both the North and the South and assessing the performance of the Union generals. The book opens with the beginning of the two final, major confrontations of the war: Grant against Lee in Virginia and Sherman pressing Johnston in North Georgia. In vivid narrative as seen from both sides, he tells of the climactic struggles, great and small, on and off the field of battle, that finally decided the fate of this nation.

The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3 brings to a close the story of four years of turmoil and strife that altered American life forever.

©1986 Shelby Foote (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Inspirational

A masterpiece about great men during the worst of times. I was brought to tears at the death of Stonewall Jackson and President Lincoln.

Epic history, perfectly told.

Shelby Foot was a national treasure. He had "crossed the river" as he would say before this was narrated, however you can still hear his words coming through, as if you were sitting in a comfortable chair in your living room telling the story.

This book was well narrated and perfectly paced. To say it was epic in length and information is an understatement, yet never once did I feel it was overly long or mired in too much detail. An incredible accomplishment, what an incredible journey this was.

The American Civil War: A Masterpiece

The author's style of writing has left me disappointed with more recent books. This book is amazing and I recommend it to anyone.

Engaging summary of the final year of the War

The author presents the battles and personalities as a novelist. I thought his views regarding the relevant events during the war were fairly balanced. That balance, however, disappears after the war. Foote briefly ridicules Grant’s post war performance and ignores his many successes including quashing the first iteration of the KKK. The author devotes a significant portion of his last chapter to celebrating Jefferson Davis, who was unrepentant for the hundreds of thousands of lives he sacrificed for the preservation of slavery. Although the closing was disappointing, the book is a valuable resource for understanding the personalities of the key players in this critical period of American history.

Excellent narrative of the American Civil War

Extremely comprehensive and well researched. Well balanced, doesn’t take sides. Rather, it tries to take a balanced approach to giving a factual account.