Never Call Retreat

The Centennial History of the Civil War, Volume 3

By: Bruce Catton

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 19 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The final work in this series begins in December of 1862. Four months before, the Union Army tasted long-awaited victory at the bloody battle of Antietam. Grant continued on towards Vicksburg, Mississippi. The grim battles that lay ahead would be costly: the Vicksburg campaign, Chattanooga, the Battle of the Wilderness, the Battle of Atlanta and the March to the Sea, the siege of Petersburg. There would be two and a half more years of war before Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, followed by Lincoln’s death just six days later.

©1965 Bruce Catton (P)1990 Recorded Books, LLC

It's Message Still Relevant Today, Perhaps More-so

This 3 volume work is a masterpiece. Given today's political climate, it should be required reading for high school every student. We must never forget the sacrifice and waste caused by political zealots. Catton's masterwork brings the reality of war and its consequences to life in a way few authors have been able to duplicate. Read just after the presidential election of 2016, it reinforced the notion that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

The Final Phase and What It Means

This is the third volume of Bruce Catton's centennial history of the Civil War. Starting in December of 1862 with the Union disaster at Fredricksberg to Lee's surrender at Appomatox Courthouse and Lincoln's assassination 6 days later, Mr. Catton weaves together the threads of all the different theaters of the war.

Mr. Catton was actually born in 1899 and as he was growing up he talk to people who had actually served in the war. He has a deep understanding of the sacrifices that the war placed on those who served and those who were at home. He combines this with a masterful skill at story telling to produce a wonderful history of the defining moment of 19th century America.

And his focus is not just on the tremendous battles of the time, but also how President Lincoln had to deal with the politics of winning the war and putting together plans for reconstructing the country once it was apparent that the Union was going to prevail.

You will be astonished at how quickly this book is finished. I highly recommend it.

Civil War Classes Should Require this Book

This book provides a balanced history of the American Civil War. It should be the first go-to text for anyone wanting to understand the conflict. If there was any complaint I have at all, it would be that in describing military operations, sometimes, soldiers become statistics. Other than that, this/these is the best (3) CW book(s) I have read.

Excellent

Excellent series this 3rd of Cotton's series beginning with the Coming Fury. Listening gives a whole new meaning and context of the Civil War.

Added Details

I have read many books on the Civil War and am somewhat of an amateur regarding its history. However, I found the Centennial Series by Catton informative. It added a perspective of the first 100 years after the war. One of the more interesting aspects of the Series was that it was relatively unbiased unlike some of the more modern histories.

The narration was good and ran at a good pace.

I tend to listen to most of my audiobooks 2 or 3 times or more and this I will definitely listen to the 3 books in this Series again.

Why the North Won; Economic Power

Never Call Retreat, The Centennial History of the Civil War, Volume 3, written by Bruce Catton, and narrated by: Nelson Runger. This compilation is a mid-1960s, deep and rewarding dive into the pre, contemporary and post-civil war strategy milieu. In this, the third part of the three-book series, Mr. Catton provides an understanding of the Civil War, as its inevitable outcome became obvious, i.e. a Northern victory. Also explained is the war’s objectified purpose, its initial fruitless battles and how attrition brought about the war’s end, and finally why the Civil War ended as it did.

This third book is an understanding of how the generals conceived of, prepared for and managed their battles. As such, this is the story of how Ulysses.S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman proved superior generals and how they became the Union’s war savers.

Most interesting here is how the obvious genius of Abraham Lincoln is portrayed; a man perceived as nothing much by his political contemporaries, yet, who proves to be a shrewd and insightful patriot of our nation and its laws.

Another major theme in this edition is the question of whether to provide emancipation. Not a simple concept in the 1860s. The complexity of the issues faced by the North were interesting. Yet, what was horrifying is that the debate seems never to involve the consideration that Blacks, are one in the same humankind, with the rest of the nation. Frightening to think we as a nation were so ignorant and held these unfounded prejudices.

Finally, this book teaches us about the futility of the battles that were fought attempting to bring about a win or avoid a war loss. Most battles ended in no resolution and too many deaths.

There are two superior ossuaries on the civil war. This three-book series and Shelby Foote’s comparative three book tombs, on the Civil War. Here you learn more of the politics. In Mr. Foote’s magnificent study, you learn of the war and its battles. Read either, read both. I think Shelby Foote’s is the far superior read and study. That is not to say this telling is not good; just not as good. Herodotus initiated humanity into the benefit of studying history. These two men, Catton and Foote, are the penultimate writers of history.

The Civil War

I really enjoyed listening to this trilogy by Bruce Catton. It was easy to follow all the events of that time period, and to get a better understanding of the Civil War and the tremendous toil it took on our country.

Excellent Review of Civil War

Nelson Runger is my favorite reader, and I have been waiting so long for Audible to get this series. I wonder why they received permission to publish the third volume in the series but I hope soon they will get the other two: The Coming Fury and Terrible Swift Sword.

The series begins with the final days of Buchanan's administration and events leading up to the war, and the weeks after Lincoln's assassination. No one book can cover every political event and battle but this gives the reader a good sense of the history of that era. Also, listen to Shelby Foote's Civil War and watch the Ken Burns PBS series.

Catton's work on Civil War is timeless.

Catton consistently delivers comprehensive information regarding the Civil War without boring you. Balance his works with Shelby Foote's

Great trilogy

If you could sum up Never Call Retreat in three words, what would they be?

Wonderful final chapter of an historical masterpiece

What other book might you compare Never Call Retreat to and why?

Shelby Footes trilogy. This was easier to listen to but both were outstanding.

Have you listened to any of Nelson Runger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nelson Runger is always fantastic

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No because I like to absorb this great historians work. It provided very pleasant drives listening on my commutes.

Any additional comments?

A must read for anyone wanting to learn the true history of this period. It was very complicated and not simplistic. These were men of their time and cannot be judged by todays standards. The crazy's ripping down and destroying this history either have no idea or just use this for their extreme view that America was founded by bigots and racists and therefore is not legitimate.