The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters

Review by Paul Fiander
Written by: James McPherson
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins 
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:30/06/2015
Publisher: Audible Studios
The American Civil War like countless other events in history can be a difficult area to get your head around. The battles, dates and leaders are just one fairly basic component but the real understanding usually comes from the causes and outcomes of the encounters. Now I have a very basic knowledge of the war that divided the United States and so this review is coming from that stand point. For Civil War historians this will more than likely feel more akin to an opportunity to learn different paths for further investigation of the war as James McPherson delves into various aspects of the conflict.

At the start of the book it is made clear by the studious narration of Grover Gardner that the chapters are actually a series of essays that have in some cases been somewhat adapted and  brought together in this volume for the first time. This means they are able to be consumed in small (mostly around the  45 minute mark) chunks as each chapter is pretty much self contained. However there is a trend that means essays tend to have a theme that links them creating more of a narrative style. That being said this is not a light breeze the interesting aspects come thick and fast and rushing through is generally not recommended.

I mentioned Gardner’s narration as being studious; his tone has higher inflections at times but feels very smooth, he is never rushed and always takes a pause after each sentence. This in my opinion gives the feeling of being in a lecture and feels perfectly suited to the subject matter. His performance would make we happily purchase books within the non-fiction genre but I would not be so onboard for a fiction title without first listening to a sample.
The book itself looks at areas like the American Mexican war and the role of Lincoln as the commander in chief. Although the book is broken up into the shorter chapters it feels rich with content. One of the biggest take homes from this book for me is the often differing viewpoints held about Abraham Lincoln. As an outsider (with the obvious caveat that knowing he was assassinated) I did not fully appreciate the change in policies that occurred throughout his career. The book hints at a rather complex growth of policy throughout his career and this has got me rather intrigued to find out more about the “man who freed the slaves”. 

Elsewhere I was rather fascinated by the amount of naval combat that took place in the war, the roles of France and Britain as well as the impact of the California Gold Rush. All these topics and more are covered in this great book. Of course the events of the war will also help to give context to events that both happened later and are still happening today in the USA and beyond. I will again restate my case that for someone newish to the topic this is a great place to ground yourself and well worth a listen but considering the stature of writer James McPherson I think even true Civil War buffs will find this a great book to own.
Image and Review copy provided by Publisher