A Worse Place than Hell
How the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg Changed a Nation
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A Worse Place than Hell
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Narrated by:
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David Colacci
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By:
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John Matteson
About this listen
Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Matteson illuminates three harrowing months of the Civil War and their enduring legacy for America.
December 1862 drove the United States toward a breaking point. The Battle of Fredericksburg shattered Union forces and Northern confidence. As Abraham Lincoln's government threatened to fracture, this critical moment also tested five extraordinary individuals whose lives reflect the soul of a nation. The changes they underwent led to profound repercussions in the country's law, literature, politics, and popular mythology. Taken together, their stories offer a striking restatement of what it means to be American.
Guided by patriotism, driven by desire, all five moved toward singular destinies. A young Harvard intellectual steeped in courageous ideals, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. confronted grave challenges to his concept of duty. The one-eyed army chaplain Arthur Fuller pitted his frail body against the evils of slavery. Walt Whitman, a gay Brooklyn poet condemned by the guardians of propriety, and Louisa May Alcott, a struggling writer seeking an authentic voice and her father's admiration, tended soldiers' wracked bodies as nurses. On the other side of the national schism, West Point cadet John Pelham achieved a unique excellence in artillery tactics as he served a doomed and misbegotten cause.
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Story5 out of 5 stars 394
Joshua Chamberlain of Maine forged a remarkable career during the Civil War. An academic and theologian by training, this modest young professor left Bowdoin College to accept a commission as lieutenant colonel of the 20th Maine. He fought at Antietam and Fredericksburg, then led his regiment to glory at Gettysburg, where he ordered the brilliant charge that saved Little Round Top.
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2 out of 5 stars
-
Details of war
- By Richard on 04-23-07
-
A Soldier's Passion for Order
- Sherman
- By: John F. Marszalek
- Narrated by: Kevin Charles Minatrea
- Length: 20 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 45
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
General William Tecumseh Sherman has come down to us as the implacable destroyer of the Civil War, notorious for his burning of Atlanta and his brutal march to the sea. A probing biography that explains Sherman's style of warfare and the threads of self-possession and insecurity that made up his character.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
An Honest Study of a Flawed Hero
- By Chris on 09-20-14
-
The Crowded Hour
- Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and the Dawn of the American Century
- By: Clay Risen
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 69
The “gripping” (The Washington Post) story of the most famous regiment in American history: the Rough Riders, a motley group of soldiers led by Theodore Roosevelt, whose daring exploits marked the beginning of American imperialism in the 20th century. Both a portrait of these men, few of whom were traditional soldiers, and of the Spanish-American War itself, The Crowded Hour dives deep into the daily lives and struggles of Roosevelt and his regiment. Using diaries, letters, and memoirs, Risen illuminates an influential moment in American history.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Dissapointed
- By Bill on 09-13-19
By: Clay Risen
-
Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers: Four Years with the Iron Brigade
- By: Rufus Dawes
- Narrated by: Zachary Cowan
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 46
Rufus R. Dawes (1838-1899) was just 23 years old when the Civil War broke out. He became a captain in the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, one of the regiments forming the "Iron Brigade" of the Union Army of the Potomac. First published in 1890, this work records his regiment’s routine and operational actions, including Second Bull Run, Gettysburg, and Petersburg. Dawes also recorded details about daily camp life and individual soldiers.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Direct descendant of Rufus Dawes
- By Bryan Haynes on 07-02-23
By: Rufus Dawes
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Hymns of the Republic
- The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War
- By: S. C. Gwynne
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 710
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 615
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 613
The fourth and final year of the Civil War offers one of that era’s most compelling narratives, defining the nation and one of history’s great turning points. Now, S.C. Gwynne’s Hymns of the Republic addresses the time Ulysses S. Grant arrives to take command of all Union armies in March 1864 to the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox a year later. He breathes new life into the epic battle between Lee and Grant; the advent of 180,000 black soldiers in the Union army; Sherman’s March to the Sea; the rise of Clara Barton; and much more.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Questionable
- By Stafford Lewis on 05-16-20
By: S. C. Gwynne
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Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers
- The Texas Victory That Changed American History
- By: Brian Kilmeade
- Narrated by: Brian Kilmeade
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,217
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,066
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1,061
In March 1836, the Mexican army led by General Santa Anna massacred more than 200 Texians who had been trapped in the Alamo. After 13 days of fighting, American legends Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett died there, along with other Americans who had moved to Texas looking for a fresh start. It was a crushing blow to Texas' fight for freedom. But the story doesn’t end there. The defeat galvanized the Texian settlers, and under General Sam Houston’s leadership, they rallied. Six weeks after the Alamo, Houston and his band of settlers defeated Santa Anna’s army in a shocking victory.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Gotta talk like Texans
- By younggranny on 11-11-19
By: Brian Kilmeade
-
Rising in Flames
- By: J. D. Dickey
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 248
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 229
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 226
America in the antebellum years was a deeply troubled country, divided by partisan gridlock and ideological warfare. The Civil War that followed brought America to the brink of self-destruction. But it also created a new country from the ruins of the old one - bolder and stronger than ever. No event in the war was more destructive, or more important, than William Sherman's legendary march through Georgia - crippling the heart of the South's economy, freeing thousands of slaves, and marking the beginning of a new era.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic book and great narrator
- By Matt McMillen on 07-02-18
By: J. D. Dickey
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1776
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: David McCullough
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19,260
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14,691
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 14,618
In this stirring audiobook, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence, when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Front Seat on History
- By Mark on 10-22-05
By: David McCullough
-
Reveille in Washington
- By: Margaret Leech
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Margaret Leech’s Pulitzer Prize-winning history paints a wonderfully vivid and lively picture of Washington, DC, during the Civil War. In addition to the major events and figures such as Lincoln, Leech uses telling anecdotes and draws upon cameo players such as Louisa May Alcott, Walt Whitman, Andrew Carnegie, and a Confederate lady spy to create a living portrait of a sleepy, unfinished city as it struggles to become the strong capital of a united nation.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Good book, poor read
- By JC on 08-10-20
By: Margaret Leech
-
For Cause and Comrades
- Why Men Fought in the Civil War
- By: James M. McPherson
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
James McPherson shows that, contrary to what many scholars believe, the soldiers of the Civil War remained powerfully convinced of the ideals for which they fought throughout the conflict. Motivated by duty and honor, and often by religious faith, these men wrote frequently of their firm belief in the cause for which they fought: the principles of liberty, freedom, justice, and patriotism. For Cause and Comrades lets these soldiers tell their own stories in their own words to create an account that is both deeply moving and far truer than most books on war.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Ambitious idea but falls short
- By Matt M on 08-03-20
-
The Road to Guilford Courthouse
- The American Revolution in the Carolinas
- By: John Buchanan
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 69
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 63
This brilliant account of the proud and ferocious American fighters who stood up to the British forces in savage battles highlights just how crucial these individuals were in deciding both the fate of the Carolina colonies and the outcome of the American Civil War.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing Book
- By Anthony S. on 04-01-21
By: John Buchanan
-
The Man Who Would Not Be Washington
- Robert E. Lee's Civil War and His Decision that Changed American History
- By: Jonathan Horn
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 97
On the eve of the Civil War, one soldier embodied the legacy of George Washington and the hopes of a divided land. Both North and South knew Robert E. Lee as the son of Washington's most famous eulogist and the son-in-law of Washington's adopted child. Each side sought his services for high command. Lee could choose only one. The decision he made would change history.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A breath of unbiased truth!
- By M. bridges on 07-04-16
By: Jonathan Horn
-
The Tragedy of Benedict Arnold
- An American Life
- By: Joyce Lee Malcolm
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
Proud and talented, history now remembers this conflicted man solely through the lens of his last desperate act of treason. Yet the fall of Benedict Arnold remains one of the Revolutionary period's great puzzles. Why did a brilliant military commander, who repeatedly risked his life fighting the British, who was grievously injured in the line of duty, and fell into debt personally funding his own troops, ultimately became a traitor to the patriot cause?
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3 out of 5 stars
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good story....questionable performance
- By Amazon Customer on 07-12-19
-
The Great Partnership
- Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the Fate of the Confederacy
- By: Christian B. Keller
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
The Great Partnership has the power to change how we think about Confederate strategic decision-making and the value of personal relationships among senior leaders responsible for organizational survival. Those relationships in the Confederate high command were particularly critical for victory, especially the one that existed between the two great Army of Northern Virginia generals.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
No real surprises
- By Mike in NC on 12-29-19
-
April 1865
- The Month That Saved America
- By: Professor Jay Winik
- Narrated by: Professor Jay Winik
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 236
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 210
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 210
April 1865 could have destroyed the nation. Instead it saved it. As April begins, the battered Confederate capital of Richmond falls to the Union Army. Robert E. Lee surrenders his forces to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox one week later. In good spirits and sensing the war's end, President Abraham Lincoln attends a comedic play - and is assassinated. Simultaneously, Secretary of State William Seward is brutally attacked but survives.
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1 out of 5 stars
-
REALLY!
- By Jonah on 04-22-17
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For generations of Americans, the word Antietam - the name of a bucolic stream in western Maryland - held the same sense of horror and carnage that the date 9/11 does for Americans today. But Antietam eclipses even this modern tragedy as America's single bloodiest day, on which 22,000 men became casualties in a war to determine our nation's future.
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Still one of the best!
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5 out of 5 stars
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Magnificent chronicle of mismanagement
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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One of the most important and objective firsthand accounts of the Civil War. Unlike some other Confederate memoirists, General Edward Porter Alexander objectively evaluated and criticized prominent Confederate officers, including Robert E. Lee. The result is a clear-eyed assessment of the bloody conflict that divided but subsequently united the nation.
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3 out of 5 stars
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The first one I may exchange
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The Coming Fury
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> The New York Times hailed this trilogy as “one of the greatest historical accomplishments of our time”. With stunning detail and insights, America’s foremost Civil War historian recreates the war from its opening months to its final, bloody end. Each volume delivers a complete listening experience. The Coming Fury (Volume 1) covers the split Democratic Convention in the spring of 1860 to the first battle of Bull Run.
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5 out of 5 stars
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History As It Should Be
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On to Petersburg
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Cornfield
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 48
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5 out of 5 stars
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Still one of the best!
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3 out of 5 stars
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The first one I may exchange
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5 out of 5 stars
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There are many, many studies of the Civil War. Books have been written on its economic effects, its political causes, its relationship to western expansion. But the real fascination of the war is the story of combat, men in battle. Combat: The Civil War tells this story in the words of men who actually marched into battle. We share their experiences, their fears, and their moments of bravery at Vicksburg, on board the Monitor, at Gettysburg, and at the bloody battle of Antietam. These eyewitness accounts are interspersed with brief commentaries by some of our most respected historians....
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2 out of 5 stars
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The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War
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Get ready for a rousing rebel yell as best-selling author H. W. Crocker III charges through bunkers and battlefields in The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War. Crocker busts myths and shatters stereotypes as he profiles eminent and colorful military generals, revealing little-known truths, like why Robert E. Lee had a higher regard for African-Americans than Lincoln did.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The American Civil War Made Simple
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The Great Battle Never Fought: The Mine Run Campaign, November 26-December 2, 1863
- Emerging Civil War Series
- By: Chris Mackowski
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8
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The stakes for George Gordon Meade could not have been higher. After his stunning victory at Gettysburg in July of 1863, the Union commander spent the following months trying to bring the Army of Northern Virginia to battle once more and finish the job. The Great Battle Never Fought: The Mine Run Campaign, November 26-December 2 1863 recounts the final chapter of the forgotten fall of 1863 - when George Gordon Meade made one final attempt to save the Union and, in doing so, save himself.
By: Chris Mackowski
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Chancellorsville
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 195
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 191
A former editor of American Heritage, Stephen W. Sears has collected a wealth of new sources for this definitive portrait of one of the most dramatic battles of the Civil War. Using scores of letters and diaries written by soldiers from both Union and Confederate armies, Sears’ narrative history seeks to strip away the gloss of later commentary and restore the battle of Chancellorsville to its original voices.
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It's a Wonderful Tool
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Terrible Swift Sword
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
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Alongside Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, Philip H. Sheridan is the least known of the triumvirate of generals most responsible for winning the Civil War. Yet, before Sherman's famous march through Georgia, it was General Sheridan who introduced scorched-earth warfare to the South, and it was his Cavalry Corps that compelled Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Sheridan's innovative cavalry tactics and "total war" strategy became staples of 20th-century warfare.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Full of history but just a little long
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A Savage War
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 90
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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.
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2 out of 5 stars
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A Book about Conclusions
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By: Wayne Wei-siang Hsieh, and others
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The Civil War
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 469
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 469
For a person seeking a single volume to serve as a captivating introduction and a dependable guide through all the maze of battles and issues of the Civil War, this is an audiobook without parallel. Bruce Catton understood the Civil War - its participants and battles - and he unfolds it with skill and simplicity.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
good book, fair sound
- By Paul on 12-16-02
By: Bruce Catton
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Cain at Gettysburg
- By: Ralph Peters
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 222
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 190
Two mighty armies blunder toward each other, one led by confident, beloved Robert E. Lee and the other by dour George Meade. They’ll meet in a Pennsylvania crossroads town where no one planned to fight. In this sweeping, savagely realistic novel, the greatest battle ever fought on American soil explodes into life at Gettysburg. As generals squabble, staffs err. Tragedy unfolds for immigrants in blue and barefoot Rebels alike. The fate of the nation will be decided in a few square miles of fields. There are no marble statues here, only men of flesh and blood, imperfect and courageous.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Historical fiction with a soul!
- By 9S on 04-22-12
By: Ralph Peters
-
For Cause and Comrades
- Why Men Fought in the Civil War
- By: James M. McPherson
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 77
James McPherson shows that, contrary to what many scholars believe, the soldiers of the Civil War remained powerfully convinced of the ideals for which they fought throughout the conflict. Motivated by duty and honor, and often by religious faith, these men wrote frequently of their firm belief in the cause for which they fought: the principles of liberty, freedom, justice, and patriotism. For Cause and Comrades lets these soldiers tell their own stories in their own words to create an account that is both deeply moving and far truer than most books on war.
-
3 out of 5 stars
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Ambitious idea but falls short
- By Matt M on 08-03-20
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Shiloh
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Foote
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 233
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 207
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 207
This fictional recreation of the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 is a stunning work of imaginative history, from Shelby Foote, beloved historian of the Civil War. Shiloh conveys not only the bloody choreography of Union and Confederate troops through the woods near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, but the inner movements of the combatants' hearts and minds.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great so detailed
- By chris calabrese on 05-06-19
By: Shelby Foote
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The Seven Days
- The Emergence of Robert E. Lee and the Dawn of a Legend
- By: Clifford Dowdey
- Narrated by: Nicholas Tecosky
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 139
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 130
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Story4 out of 5 stars 130
The Seven Days Campaign was a series of battles fought near Richmond at the end of June 1862. General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia had routed General George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. Depriving McClellan of a military decision meant the war would continue for two more years. The Seven Days depicts a critical turning point in the Civil War that would ingrain Robert E. Lee in history as one of the finest generals of all time.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The Seven Days:A different Title would work
- By Margaret Harley on 09-10-21
By: Clifford Dowdey
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The War for the Common Soldier
- How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies
- By: Peter S. Carmichael
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
How did Civil War soldiers endure the brutal and unpredictable existence of army life during the conflict? This question is at the heart of Peter S. Carmichael's sweeping new study of men at war.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A flowing historical narrative
- By Rick Lynch on 08-17-24
What listeners say about A Worse Place than Hell
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-31-24
Beautifully Artistic.
This is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. It's not a war story, but a human story ,which incidentally, is the best way to tell a war story. I can't say enough good things about this book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter H. Christensen
- 09-02-21
Fantastic Intertwining!
You will enjoy this intertwining of great Americans. It will inspire and touch your heart.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anthony W. Baugher
- 06-28-23
Very good!
Amazing that all those lives were around the same time period. Never again has it happened that we were blessed with such.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 07-15-21
Brilliant
Fantastic stories and fantastic research.. all I can really say is this is an instant classic.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matthew P Wood
- 12-02-23
Great contrast
I absolutely love how the story wove these individuals into a story that was compellingly connected.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- marc edge
- 04-19-24
Fantastic Story
What a fantastic story! The weaving together of these 5 lives intertwined in and around the end of the Battle of Sharpsburg meeting together and affected by the December battle at Fredericksburg. Soldiers and non combatants woven together in a story of the American Civil War.
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