• A Stillness at Appomattox

  • The Army of the Potomac, Volume 3
  • By: Bruce Catton
  • Narrated by: Michael Kramer
  • Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (493 ratings)

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A Stillness at Appomattox  By  cover art

A Stillness at Appomattox

By: Bruce Catton
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Publisher's summary

Undoubtedly Bruce Catton's most brilliant book, A Stillness at Appomattox won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for excellence in nonfiction. Catton, our foremost Civil War historian, recounts the most spectacular conflicts between Grant and Lee and details the end of hope for the Confederacy. Utilizing various collections of unpublished letters written by soldiers, personal diaries of spouses and relatives, memoirs of soldiers and their families, and official war records, Catton follows Grant's campaigns from early 1864 to the end of the war, detailing many crucial battles along the way.

©1953 Bruce Catton (P)2014 Tantor

What listeners say about A Stillness at Appomattox

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The Best

Mr Catton wrote two sets of three books each about the Civil War. One was on the Army ofThe Potomac . The Other was the definitive study of the war which was published for the 100th anniversary of the war.

This is the final volume of the centennial series. It is the best of a those six masterful works. No books of history, not even those of Foote or McCullough capture both the very personal human experience that history is AND it’s broad sweep as well.

A Stillness At Appomattox begins with a Ball and a single dance in it. From there you will care deeply about the people in this book and gain understanding of what the war did too and for this country.

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12 people found this helpful

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Superb Catton classic.

Great narration of the intimate and authentic journey of the last year of the Army of the Potomac.

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6 people found this helpful

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Civil War brought to life

Never before, in my experience, has a narrative so fully captured the experience of the war between the states. This is a book to lend to your children.

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5 people found this helpful

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Poetry

a beautifully written and poetic approach to a terrible time, amazing!

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Perfect

Truly a masterpiece. I have read or listened to a dozen civil war books and this may have been the best. It held my interest beyond my expectations.

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History comes alive

This is a classic, the story of Grant's command of the Union Army from the battle of the Wilderness to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Catton's command of the language combined with his knowledge of history combine for a very enjoyable book, wonderfully narrated by Michael Kramer the book takes on even greater dimensions. If you enjoy history you will enjoy this book.

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Wonderful book. Probably my favorite from Catton

Narroration was excellent, bad Narroration can ruin an otherwise good book. The story is superb. And all together was very interesting

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This makes history come to life

The narration is fabulous. The research that has gone into this book is impressive. It has left me with a profound respect for men who gave their all for the freedoms I enjoy.

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A Grand Book About A Grand Struggle

To even attempt to write a review about this book feels so outside of my abilities.

I will simply state that Mr. Kramer delivered a professional job as narrator, giving it a broad sweep, as opposed to a theatrical delivery.

Clearly, Mr. Catton knows his subject, but he wrote it so well that I felt the dust in my throat when I read of those many dusty, hot marches, and felt the fear that one must certainly feel, facing other people intent on killing you.

May this be one history that we shall never be bound to repeat. I highly recommend this audiobook.

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But where are the others?

A Stillness at Appomattox is a really nice history of the last part of the ACW, as told from a more "boots-on-the-ground" perspective than a political one. But it's the third in a series of three; where are Mr. Lincoln's Army and Glory Road?

I will probably look into the Centennial History trilogy - which is available in its entirety - instead and hope it's similar. For "macro" history, McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom (available in two volumes totaling some forty hours) seems to be the gold standard and I can't imagine needing another audiobook like it.

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