Essential reading on the Civil War includes:

James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (1988)
The nation's top authority on the Civil War examines the military, diplomatic, economic, political, and social history of the conflict.

David Donald, Lincoln (1996)
This definitive biography of the sixteenth president, which traces Lincoln's life from his birth in rural Kentucky through his presidency, examines his private and public lives, his attitudes toward slavery, his legal and political careers, and his wartime leadership.

Joseph Glatthaar, Forged in Battle:The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers (2000)
A thorough examination of one of the keys to Northern victory in the Civil War--the 180,000 enlisted African-Americans who fought for the Union army.

Richard E. Beringer et al., Why the South Lost the Civil War (1991)
A thorough assessment of the various factors cited to explain the Confederate defeat, including economic weaknesses, disputes over states rights, inadequate political leadership, and flawed military strategy.

Gabor Borrit, Why the Confederacy Lost (1993)
This book emphasizes the role of generalship, battlefield tactics, and military strategy in the outcome of the war.

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