The battle cry of freedom
by Samuel A. Johnson · first published 1954
62% recommend38% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Readable, well-written one-volume history of the Civil War and the antebellum politics behind it, packed with analysis. Suits readers wanting a meaty introduction that shows slavery as the war's cause.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…read on the subject that I'd heartily recommend along with Manisha Sinha's The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina.[2] Finally, James McPherson's wonderful Battle Cry of Freedom[3] touches on these matters throughout the book, albeit from a more general perspective. There's no question that poor southern whites and yeomen farmers both saw their wages depressed by slavery and…
on “For Decades, Southern States Saw Thanksgiving as an Act of Northern Aggression” ↗…work. * Discrete Math with Applications by Epp -- I didn't read it all the way through but gave me the foundations to actually understand what the hell the books in the last bullet were talking about * Battle Cry of Freedom by MacPherson was the first really meaty historical book I read. Turns out I like those a lot. So many more but this seems like a reasonable place to stop for this discussion.
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗…great truths can be boiled down to 240 pages. Rather, learning about people's experiences and stories on there own terms helps you develop a much more nuanced worldview. For example, I'm reading The Battle Cry of Freedom, an overview of the Civil War, and it's astounding how much more insight a book about something 150 years ago offers into today's society than just about any of the Gladwell genre stuff.
on “Ask HN: Books with a high signal to noise ratio?” ↗I've also been reading The Battle Cry of Freedom and it's been amazing. The analysis and insights the author can pack into every single page is just incredible. And all those political, social, and historical insights have just as much applicability…
on “Ask HN: Books with a high signal to noise ratio?” ↗…outside. Historical work for most people - produced by those on the outside - is how our society and culture understands itself. I recently finished an excellent one volume history of the Civil War, "Battle Cry of Freedom." It was written by James McPherson, a historian. This book has informed my understanding of not just the Civil War, but also the lead up to it. I believe this context is essential for understanding where…
on “Let's Not Dumb Down the History of Computer Science (2014)” ↗…thing--but they didn't. If you think they did, then I'm guessing your understanding of the civil war comes from your education by said Union, or from movies. If this is the case, read a history book (Battle Cry of Freedom is a good start) and you'll find it impossible to believe that the Union fought the war to free the slaves. That the "moral crusade" nonsense is still peddled throughout the United States is a simple…
on “CatalanGate: Spyware operation against Catalans using Pegasus and Candiru” ↗If you like history, I would highly recommend: Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson. Probably one of the best books about the Civil War that has been written.
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've read that few others have?” ↗McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom is a great introduction. Grant published his memoirs and they are highly readable.
on “MS will ban Forza players who add the confederate flag to their digital cars” ↗I happen to be reading Battle Cry of Freedom right now, and I second its recommendation. Its wonderfully written, and its striking how many of the issues dominating the decades leading up to the Civil War feel very similar to the issues of today.
on “Classics for every aspiring leader's bookshelf (Patrick Henry Winston)” ↗…compromise. Since you are one of the top HN posters, I encourage you to read the founding documents and speeches of the Confederate States, as well as reputable historical works such as McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom".
on ““A Headline That Will Make Global-Warming Activists Apoplectic”” ↗History: * Russia Leaves the War by George Kennan * The Battle Cry of Freedom by James MacPherson Fiction: * Hunger by Knut Hamsun * White Teeth by Zadie Smith Philosophy: * Philosophy of Logic by W.V.O. Quine * Modes of Being by Paul Weiss * Phenomenology, Its Genesis and…
on “Ask HN: What book(s) did you love reading this year?” ↗…the "states' rights" commentators, was the real cause of the war) * They expected recognition from the British government due to their supposed dependence of southern cotton I just finished the book _Battle Cry of Freedom_ a couple of weeks ago. It's a fantastic and very readable single-volume history of the war and the ~20 years leading up to it, and I think every American should read it for a clear understanding of why…
on “Underage Enlistment in the United States and the Confederacy” ↗…opposed to fighting against invasion is high on the invader's propaganda. Anyway, now that you know how to spell 'secede', consider continuing your education so as to prevent further embarrassment. Read 'Battle Cry of Freedom' by James McPherson--it's a good start.
on “Starship will attempt a launch this weekend” ↗The first third of "Battle Cry of Freedom" is very good with respect to that.
on “Rifts Break Open at Facebook Over Kavanaugh Hearing” ↗…apprenticeship system of Britain at the time) [2]. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_system_of_manufacturin... (the article is sufficiently cited to support the claim) [2] McPherson, James M. (2003). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-503863-7.
on “China” ↗