Greetings Cosmic Americans!We all have our favorite Civil War author - mine is Bruce Catton. Not because he championed some paradigmatic shift or headed some interpretive school of thought, but because he introduced me to Civil War scholarship - written with elegance and grace that I have not seen matched since I first read his work in 1976.
Catton's The Civil War was the first book (a Christmas gift from my grandparents) on the war that I ever read. It was a short history - a condensed version of the war so to speak. Of course I was captivated - who wouldn't be. He brought to life the great issues of the era. What would come of slavery, secession, and the relationship between the federal state and the individual states and localities? He answered my youthful questions (probably framed differently than I would today) in a narrative style that enlivened the era - to say the least. I have since read just about everything he has written. My favorite: The Army of the Potomac Trilogy.
Bruce Catton passed away in 1978 - but we as scholars still have much to learn from him. Those who would weigh down their work (alliteration anyone?) with heavy-handed jargon that no one will ever read might have a look at Mr. Lincoln's Army - if only to have a reminder on hand that a historian can write a compelling...and yes, accessible story.
Catton was not perfect, and his work has certain limitations and flaws. But let's face it. His books are just plain good.
Peace,
Keith
The first serious history book was "Stillness at Appomattox." After I finished my dissertation, I decided to revisit the first step in my historical journey. When I first read this book, I could not appreciate how beautifully it was written. When I read it, decades later, I was surprised at how well it held up over the years. Perfect no, magisterial yes.
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I really like Catton, and "Mr. Lincoln's Army" is one of my favorite Civil War books. Catton was also responsible for introducting me to the Civil War when I was a young lad! I feel that he is very out of fashion these days, and that many serious scholars do not necessarily accord him the respect he deserves. However, he had quite the command of the English language and brought the Civil War to life for millions of Americans. Would I go to his books to learn every single detail of a battle or campaign, or every intricacy of the slavery issue? No. But for excellent writing as good as any fictional novel, Catton is unmatched in transporting the reader back in time to understand what it must have been like.
ReplyDeleteI think the standard way to measure the impact of a Civil War historian -- or any other -- is to tally up the awards, or how long his or her books stay in print, or how often they're cited.
ReplyDeleteBut wouldn't it be interesting to be able to tote up how many future historians got set on their career path by an author, all those years ago? Surely Catton's at the top of the heap, and likely to remain there.
As a young boy of about 14 years of age I remember eying my father’s bookshelf and the red book with a blue band of stars across the middle of the cover. It was the book cover that caught my eye, not the title “Bruce Catton’s Civil War.” When I opened the book and saw the title of the first work, “Mr. Lincoln’s Army”, my interest was piqued and I started to read. From that moment I could not put the book down. I can still say that now, many, many years later Catton’s description of the Antietam battle is the most vivid memory of anything I read during my adolescence. I was utterly captivated. Incredibly, almost 50 years later I have not visited that battlefield. Having lived in Southern California my entire life I simply haven’t made it there. I plan to rectify the situation this summer. Thank you Bruce Catton!
ReplyDeleteI have read thousands of books by all the top authors and 40 plus years later I STILL come back to Mr. Catton's books time and again. I cannot even couny how many times I have read his great books! He is one of those rare authors you want to meet and talk with for hours. Wish I had gotten the chance.
ReplyDeleteso do I, Joseph - thanks for the thoughtful comment.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a LOT of people feel exactly the same way you do - and you should get to Antietam whenever you can. It is a breathtaking landscape for one and a very evocative place for another. I love it there.
ReplyDeleteHe might be on top for sure. I would certainly put him in the same category as say a Douglas Southhall Freeman as an author who gets people on the road to scholarship. I have been avid Catton reader all my life - and plan on revisiting his works often.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Ron - Catton's ability to paint a vivid portrait of the events as they unfolded has never been equaled - at least not from where I sit. Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI did precisely the same thing. My choice was Mr. Lincoln's Army. Such a beautifully executed work. Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI first read Mr. Catton's books in 1960 when a child during the Civil War centennial. I have read many books relating to the Civil War since but all are lacking the "feel" he would convey during his narrative. When young soldiers climbed an apple tree for fruit during a hot Indian summer I could taste the apple. I carry with me to this day his wonderful words, such as, "clubs are trumps"," turning up his toes", and "played out". His words are as much a part of my life as my late mother yelling, "go to sleep". I have read a lot about statistics, but the feelings he conveyed is the fiber of my childhood.
ReplyDelete[...] historians. Even today, historians acknowledge our debt to Catton and his vivid writing. See here and [...]
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