Listen free for 30 days

  • The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville

  • Written by: Shelby Foote
  • Narrated by: Grover Gardner
  • Length: 42 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (40 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville cover art

The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville

Written by: Shelby Foote
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $50.07

Buy Now for $50.07

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 1 begins one of the most remarkable works of history ever fashioned. All the great battles are here, of course, from Bull Run through Shiloh, the Seven Days Battles, and Antietam, but so are the smaller ones: Ball's Bluff, Fort Donelson, Pea Ridge, Island Ten, New Orleans, and Monitor versus Merrimac

The word “narrative” is the key to this extraordinary book’s incandescence and its truth. The story is told entirely from the point of view of the people involved in it. One learns not only what was happening on all fronts but also how the author discovered it during his years of exhaustive research.

This first volume in Shelby Foote’s comprehensive history is a must-listen for anyone interested in one of the bloodiest wars in America’s history. 

©1986 Shelby Foote (P)2011 Blackstone Audio

What listeners say about The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume I, Fort Sumter to Perryville

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    34
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    24
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Comprehensive narrative for involved listeners

Comprehensive and well-paced, attention to names and places from both sides of the conflict sometimes disorienting in audio format (Polk/Pope, etc.). Necessarily dense in content, the breadth of source material including personal accounts and anecdotes adds a powerful colouring of the time period to the narrative with enthralling effect. Not recommended as a starting place for anyone without a background in historical or military writing due to the sheer scale of the work (over 150hrs with all 3 volumns) but very rewarding otherwise.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Foote's Magnum Opus, part 1

This is a rather massive and detailed history. Be prepared for an odyssey. It can get overwhelming at times, but the quality is there.

The narrator is very good, but the audio is a little tinny with rather pronounced S sounds.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

masterpiece

An incredible read. Read it along with listening to to the audiobook for maximum immersion.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and educational

This is not the book to introduce you to the Civil War. This is the book to tell you what each general thought about on each day of each battle, what the soldiers felt as the cannonballs were whizzing, what they ate on the night before their march to a new area. This book covers the political wrangling leading up to and during the war, the logistical problems of supplying and moving armies, and what the officers wrote to their wives at night. It details Lincoln’s and Davis’ fears and misgivings and political strategies. It’s a meaty, dense, detailed account written in an engaging, entertaining way that humanizes the participants on both sides of the war. Shelby Foote is a consummate researcher and writer, and Grover Gardner is a masterful narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!