Cheap Glory Road (Book) (Bruce Catton) Price

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Customer Reviews of Glory Road

inspirational history
I started Catton's trilogy of the Army of the Potomac with Vol. II, "Glory Road". I did so because my vacation was taking me through Fredricksburg and Gettysburg and I planned to visit the three battlefields talked about in this book. While I had hoped for an historical background of the battles, I received so much more. I had not realized that Bruce Catton was such an excellent writer. I just assumed that he was another Civil War buff who was a bit more successful than his peers. How wrong I was! What comes through most clearly from Catton's writing in his respect and admiration of the foot soldiers of the Army of the Potomac. What comes through nearly as well is his ability to explain the circumstances of the times; what was happening in Washington, what was happening in the homefront, who were these men in charge. Finally, what is also very appreciated by the reader is the detailed overview of the three main battles in the book; Fredricksburg, Chancellorsille, and Gettysburg. What I mean by detailed overview is not the minute by minute account that so many battle histories have. Rather it is an overview that allows the reader a clear understanding of how the battle proceeded with focal points throughout the event to better bring it to life. Mr. Catton seasons all of this with some much appreciated philosophy of the meaning of the events that take place.

I am aware that I have just finished reading a masterpiece. What is embarassing for me to consider is that it sat on my bookshelf for several years. I will see to it that Vols I and III shall be attended to promptly.

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Excellent, entertaining, full of insight!
This book by Bruce Catton follows Volume 1 in his famous Civil War Trilogy covering the Army of the Potomac. In this well written text, Catton covers the footsteps of the army dealing with the loss at Fredericksburg, following Burnside, then Hooker, Chancellorsville and then finally Gettysburg. Catton isn't truly descriptive of the battles and quickly covers the basics, though Catton loves to present the politics involving Union leadership and basically the war itself. While covering the end of 1862 and a majority of 1863, Catton's coverage brings the readers insight to popular sentiment, northern industrialization, the struggles facing the Lincoln administration, the perils of war and much more. Catton never dwells too long a subject and keeps things moving while bringing a bit of humor to uncommon situations or oddities of the war. Catton's books are never boring and either is this one. This is must read for any fan of the Civil War!

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Bruce Catton and the Army of the Potomac
Bruce Catton's "Glory Road" was published in 1952 as the second volume of a trilogy on the Army of the Potomac. Unhappily, the book is now out-of-print, but it remains an outstanding, accessible study of the Civil War and of the Union's largest army.

"Glory Road" covers the period from the Battle of Fredericksburg in late 1862 through the Battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863 and concludes with President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in November, 1863. The primary battles during this period were Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. The Army of the Potomac had a different commander in each battle, Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, to face Confederate general Robert E. Lee, who had already assumed almost legendary stature. Catton captures these battles well, in a rhythmic and readable prose without getting bogged in the detail of many more minute battle accounts. He also does well in tying the courses of the battles together, something more specialized accounts frequently fail to do. The reader wanting a basic understanding of the battles will find it here.

But there is much more to this book than a description of combat. For me, Catton made the Army of the Potomac come alive. He tells the story of how the Army survived its many defeats and came through as a strong, tough fighting force lacking illusions. The Army survived a series of weak commanders and took control of itself.

Catton also does an excellent job of weaving the military course of the War with political and social history. He discusses the politics within the Lincoln administration and the activities of the Copperheads -- Northerners sympathetic to the Confederate War effort. He also gives a fine account of the origins of the United States Sanitary Commission -- a private organization which played a great role in improving medical care for the wounded of the Civil War. Catton's history shows how the United States kept growing almost in spite of itself during the war years, and he captures the transition from a government based on the states, in both North and South, to a strong national government.

The book is well-written, easy to follow, and has moments of real eloquence. I was moved by the discussion of Pickett's charge on the third day of Gettysburg and by the discussion of Lincoln's famous address. There is real feeling in this book for the war and for the troops that fought it, with a focus on the Union side of the line. Virtually everything covered in this book has been written about with more detail by others. But for a basic account of the Civil War and of the ebb and flow of its course, Catton's account remains a gem. I learned a great deal from it. I also enjoyed reading the comments of the other Amazon reviewers who have discussed this book.