America In Context

As I mentioned in my last post, I talked a lot about the Civil War lately. Five out of the last 6 posts referenced the Civil War! Well, of course the War Between the States would factor prominently in a blog about the National Park System: so much of our history depends on that war in some form or another. You can’t really put America in context without an understanding of that conflict, it’s vital in any study of American history (it’s not just for Civil War geeks, that’s for sure 😉 ). That’s why so many sites in the NPS revolve around the Civil War, and that’s all for the best.

In the 7th post of this cycle, I thought I’d post about another of my favorite books: Jay Winik’s April 1865.

Winik was brilliant in his choice of topic. All of those key events at the end of the Civil War occurred in April of 1865: the end of the siege of Petersburg, the evacuation of Richmond, Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his succession by the incapable Andrew Johnson, the chase and capture of John Wilkes Booth, the defeat of Confederate cavalry Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the surrender of Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston to stern-hearted William Tecumseh Sherman in South Carolina, and the subsequent surrender of other Confederate commands throughout the South. Shortly thereafter, in the first weeks of May, the Civil War would be over entirely, Confederate Pres. Jefferson Davis would be captured, and a reformed nation would begin to rise from the ashes.

 Winik not only describes these events in an exciting, narrative style; he also gives plenty of backstory and context to make the entire work incredibly interesting. I found this book nearly impossible to put down (causing many problems trying to get to work on time). I think April 1865 is a great book, even for those who simply want a good read and aren’t particularly enthusiastic about American history.

[It was also made into a History Channel documentary for those of you not quite enthusiastic about reading 🙂 ]

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I figured I’d break things up a little bit by posting something different, yet still relevant, every 7th post. This time, in honor of John Adams, I thought I’d post a book recommendation:

Way back when, I attended night school towards my Bachelor’s degree. Although it wasn’t my major, I had one very enjoyable American History class. The professor was so excited about his topic, and that translated directly to student interest, my interest. Afterwards, I decided to study up on it on my own.

At the time, it was really hard to find an enjoyable read in the genre. Most history books were either over-laden with so much sheer trivia, or were written like bad textbooks, just facts thrown on a page with little context and no interest.

Patriots is so different. It not only reads like a narrative, a story you can really sink into, it also infuses these real-life characters, these patriots, with soul. You feel the cantankerousness of James Otis, the steadfastness of John Adams, the wise logic of Ben Franklin, the practicality of George Washington. You can mentally participate in the debates these men had with each other, and even with themselves. You can actually experience the rebellion in its entirety, from the Boston Massacre to the surrender at Yorktown, and come out not only the wiser, but satisfied as a good book can only satisfy.

The good thing about a well-written book like Patriots is you can learn a lot about this country without feeling like you’ve been through the meat grinder of all-night cram sessions or final exams. This is how history should be. Nowadays, there are a lot of good books on American history that are also enjoyable to read, I’ll post more of my favorites in the weeks and months ahead. But Patriots was the first one that I read that fit that description, hence it’s the first one I post.

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