Date Posted:01:56:36 05/15/04 Sat Author: Mt. Healthy Mountaineer Subject: ANHOW Review of Books: The Negro's Civil War by James McPherson
Published: 2003 by Vintage Civil War Library (Random House)
First Published: 1965
Synopsis
James McPherson has compiled a fantastic amount of source material concerning how Blacks felt and acted during the Civil War. In the forward McPherson notes that there is "a need for a documentary collection that will present all aspects of the Negro's role in the war largely in the Negro's own words...this book is designed to fill that need." McPherson strings together quote after quote from Black newspapers, letters and speeches with relatively sparse commentary in between.
The book addresses 22 topics - from pre-war commentary on Abraham Lincoln to postwar lamentations about the failure of Reconstruction.
My Review
Unfortunately, the very strength of this book (all of the quotes) made it, at times, a tedious read for me. I found the style of the book to be a chore to read. I'll keep this book in my personal collection of Civil War material because as a collection of source material it is unmatched and I may have need to utilize it when it comes time to get my master's degree. As a history of the Civil War it is effective, informative but ultimately a chore to read.
I have more of McPherson's books than those of any other historian. This is the first one that I have been remotely disappointed in. I heartily recommend that you pick up any of his other books if you have even a passing interest in the Civil War.
He also has an interesting interview on C-Span's weekend series on books.
