Right now I am doing an in depth study of the United States Civil War. Of course I already know all of the basic facts about it – well many of them anyway. My grandmother gave me a set of three books by Shelby Foote titled The Civil War – A Narrative for my birthday last month. I was excited and apprehensive. The idea of three new history books filled me with delight! I love to read! But when I considered that the topic was the United States Civil War, I grew apprehensive. If there was one event in the history of our nation that I had very little interest in studying, it was the Civil War…

I loved studying the American Revolution – and still do. I have read so many books about the founders and the war that I have facts filling my head. Then too, I still have at least two or three more books about that time that I want to read! It seems that whenever I start to near the end of my studying of the American Revolution that I find something else to continue it with! I decided though that I had better move on. Staying in the late 1700’s isn’t really a good thing – especially when you want to do an in-depth study covering roughly 400 years and you haven’t reached the end of the second century. The short-lived War of 1812 was mildly interesting – nothing really splendid and very few original documents, in-depth articles or books to devour. I’m still studying the first 15 presidents – except George Washington (though I have another book or two I would love to read about him!) and John Adams – but I don’t have any books to read concerning any one of them, so I decided that it was better to pick a book that was a little ahead of the time I was studying than another one from behind. The continual reading of books from and about the Revolution had a tendency to pull me back towards it, so in the hope that reading something ahead would pull me forward, I commenced reading what I thought was Book One of The Civil War.

After reading two or three pages, I was quite confused that the author would begin in the middle of the war, instead of the beginning. That’s when I checked for a number on the book. There wasn’t one. But there were two stars on the binding. I knew that one of the other books had three stars on it because I remembered looking at them and wondering what they were for. On further investigation I found I was indeed in Book Two, so I put it back and started on the proper volume, not very enthusiastic but hoping that I would be at least a little interested.

I am now more than fifty pages into the first book and find my interest ever growing. Mr. Foote is a captivating author, quoting frequently and extensively from original documents, creating, thus far, a fascinating account of the events prior too and in the beginning of the American Civil War. I really don’t know if I will finish the series – or even the entire first book. Even though it is growing ever more interesting to me the first book alone is over 800 pages and the next two are just as long. So, we’ll see. For now though, I think I just might enjoy studying this war a lot more than I ever thought I would…

To the KING be all the glory!