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Bruce Catton
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Bruce Catton's America (American Heritage) Kindle Edition

by Bruce Catton (Author), Oliver Jensen (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 196 ratings
No one has ever told America's story with more grace, clarity, and emotional power than Pulitzer Prize winner Bruce Catton. In his books, ranging from the celebrated Civil War trilogies to the account of his boyhood in back-country Michigan, Catton brought the people of the past to such vivid life that he became the nation's best-loved and most widely read historian.

Bruce Catton's friend and associate for many years, Oliver Jensen, has assembled this volume of selections of Catton's works - as a memorial to the man and a tribute to the historian. The excerpts chosen for Bruce Catton's America include portions of A Stillness at Appomattox, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; The American Heritage History of the Civil War, awarded a special Pulitzer Prize Citation; and representative selections from many other books and articles. The book also includes several previously unpublished pieces.

Bruce Catton helped to create American Heritage magazine in 1954 and continued to influence it for the next twenty-four years - first as editor, then as senior editor and a frequent contributor. He spent much of his adult life as a newspaperman in the Midwest and Washington, D.C., and became a historian "by logical extension." Although best known as the greatest writer on the Civil War, he had wide-ranging interests.

To those who are familiar with Bruce Catton's work, these selections will appear as old friends whose company never fails to provide enjoyment, stimulation, and a deep sense of worth. For those who have not yet read him, Bruce Catton's America will be an introduction to historical writing at its best.
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  1. Part of series
    American Heritage
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    February 7, 2017
  5. File size
    2.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N4WXAHT
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Word City, Inc.; 1st edition (February 7, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 7, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.4 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 196 ratings

About the author

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Bruce Catton

Bruce Catton

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Charles Bruce Catton (October 9, 1899 – August 28, 1978) was an American historian and journalist, best known for his books on the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular history, featuring colorful characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses. Although his books were well researched and supported by footnotes, they were not generally presented in a rigorous academic style. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1954 for A Stillness at Appomattox, his study of the final campaign of the war in Virginia.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Library of Congress (File:Bruce Catton LC-USZ62-132904.jpg) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
196 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise Bruce Catton's writing style, describing it as classical midcentury American writing. Moreover, the book provides valuable insights through personal stories, and customers find it enjoyable to read.

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16 customers mention "Writing quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its classical midcentury American style and considering Bruce Catton one of the best historians.

"...It is this same skilled description that escorts us through the Civil War, where we meet heroes and villains, generals and politicians...." Read more

"...give a reader a lot of insights into the interests and writings of a memorable historian...." Read more

"Bruce Catton is a premier historian of the 20th century and if you haven’t yet read the works of this Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning..." Read more

"...Catton's America is excellent and a joy to read because it is so well written. This book is a collection from some of his many historical..." Read more

14 customers mention "Insight"14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights, with several noting the personal stories that add depth to the narrative, and one customer highlighting how the descriptive facts enliven the story masterfully.

"...It provides a fitting ending to a memorable book. Five stars." Read more

"...But it will give a reader a lot of insights into the interests and writings of a memorable historian...." Read more

"...with facts concerning unknown persons to produce a story that is spellbinding. His very descriptive facts enliven the story masterfully...." Read more

"Full of vignettes from various works of Mr. Catton, this book allows one to ease into a chair and imagine that grandpa is talking with us again,..." Read more

13 customers mention "Enjoyment to read"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read, describing it as wonderful and a joy to read.

"...At times the book reads like an exciting novel, and it almost feels disappointing when a chapter comes to an end...." Read more

"...Fortunately for readers of great literature, Catton was much more than simply a brilliant Civil War historian. This compilation attests to that...." Read more

"Bruce Catton's America is excellent and a joy to read because it is so well written. This book is a collection from some of his many historical..." Read more

"...I did, and read several more of his works. This is a very fine sampler; it showcases his greatness As a writer of history he has no peer." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Dee Arr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bruce Catton Makes History Come Alive
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    If you’ve never read anything written by Bruce Catton, you couldn’t do better than beginning with this book. Mr. Catton doesn’t simply rehash history, he brings it to life in a way that makes you feel like you are there, deftly inserted into the action.

    This book is a collection of items previously authored by Mr. Catton. Editor Oliver Jensen explains in the Introduction that he wanted to present examples of Bruce Catton’s best work without feeling that he had to include any of the “…chapters, articles, or speeches in their entirety.” Much of the book covers the Civil War (Catton’s expertise), but one would be remiss to skip Chapter 1 – Morning Train, which is a brief history of Mr. Catton’s early life, and written by the author. It is a wonderful remembrance of his youth, ending with an appropriate section concerning the Civil War veterans he had known in his home town. You will be rewarded with portents of his writing style, such as this entry describing America moving into the 20th century:

    “On the eve of this terrible century of mass slaughter and wholesale collapse, of concentration camps and bombing raids, of cities gone to ruin and race relations grown desperate and poisonous, of the general collapse of all accepted values and the unendurable tension of the age of nuclear fission – on the eve of all of this, it was possible, even inevitable, for many people to be optimistic. The world was about to take off its mask, and our worst nightmares did not warn us what we were going to see.”

    It is this same skilled description that escorts us through the Civil War, where we meet heroes and villains, generals and politicians. Mr. Jensen briefly introduces each chapter before allowing the author to introduce us to the many different (and interesting) stories of this war between the states. It would be impossible for any reader not to gain a deeper insight into the reasons for this war, as well as learn more about the personalities of the leading as well as the bit players. There are countless anecdotes relating incidents about household names (Grant, Lincoln, etc.) as well as nameless men who, for different reasons, grabbed their guns and marched off to fight. At times the book reads like an exciting novel, and it almost feels disappointing when a chapter comes to an end.

    The book concludes with an excerpt from Mr. Catton’s book, “Waiting for the Night Train,” which focuses on his memories of his father’s last few years. It provides a fitting ending to a memorable book. Five stars.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good selection of pieces from a great writer
    Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book will not satisfy a reader who wants to read specifically about the Civil War. But it will give a reader a lot of insights into the interests and writings of a memorable historian. At least for people like me, for whom Catton is the gold standard of Civil War writers.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • RLJComm
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great book that transports the reader to the times and places of Catton's rich writing
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Bruce Catton is a premier historian of the 20th century and if you haven’t yet read the works of this Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author, then start with this one—and get ready for a treat. Many scholars and writers agree that Catton was the foremost authority on the American Civil War, in part because his stories read like he was there.

    The only son in his family who didn’t become a minister, Catton grew up in Michigan at a time when Civil War veterans were still around. As a kid, he heard their many stories until he said it felt the war had taken place just a few years earlier in the next county. He soaked up their words and immersed himself in books and studied old Civil War photos until he admitted that could probably “recognize people on the streets of Washington in 1860 better than 1960”.

    Fortunately for readers of great literature, Catton was much more than simply a brilliant Civil War historian. This compilation attests to that. For me, a child of television, the beauty of his words reminds me of those great CBS programs about life in America hosted by Charles Kuralt or narration at the end of “The Walton’s” by Earl Hamner. This is rich, enjoyable reading by a national treasure and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It’s the kind of book that takes one away from their daily grind and transports them to the times and places of Catton’s subjects. It truly a pleasure to read.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • bpysz
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy to read because it is so well written. I loved it.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Bruce Catton's America is excellent and a joy to read because it is so well written. This book is a collection from some of his many historical
    pieces about American and should be read by every American. His genre is biographical, autobiographical, and historical mainly the civil war.
    His writings are so well done that the scenes make you feel you are really there and the characters are real. I just could not put the book down.
    I learned a lot about America and highly recommend it all. Regardless of what you like to read you will not be sorry to read this book.
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  • CarlsT
    4.0 out of 5 stars The author has the best grasp of the English language I have ever read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The author has mingled facts concerning famous persons along with facts concerning unknown persons to produce a story that is spellbinding. His very descriptive facts enliven the story masterfully. I highly recommend this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • D. W.
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent sample
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Full of vignettes from various works of Mr. Catton, this book allows one to ease into a chair and imagine that grandpa is talking with us again, reliving moments lost in the fog of history and myth. Not many writers have Mr. Catton's style. It is almost lost, and is as informative and thought-provoking as it is stimulating.
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  • dewey pearl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Civil War excerpts
    Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018
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    I set out to skim the large portion on the Civil War, but I discovered that the writing was so moving and eloquent that I ended up reading it very slowly. Some really good prose which captures the great sadness of those awful events.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars The way it was written was good and personal stories added great insite to world in ...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2018
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    The way it was written was good and personal stories added great insite to world in the US at that time.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Peter Tabb
    5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant review of the USA
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Superbly written, a joy to be indulged. Catton's mastery of the English language never disappoints. A read to be recommended.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure to read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Such a pleasure to read sparkling descriptive language. The civil war battles brought to life demonstrating the impact of history on USA today and raising empathy for both unionists and secessionists.
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