The Civil War: A Narrative Volume I

Why, why, why? Could this have been solved diplomatically? This is an EXTENSIVELY detailed account (810 pages and this is only 1/3 of the narrative) of the beginning of the Civil War. The 1000 Books to Read Before You Die recommends all three volumes, but I think I need a break! Whew!

It just made me so sad. The reference to fellow Americans as "the enemy" really made me sad. 

It was detailed, but if you like detail, this is your book. I have a friend who works as a Chief editor for a Military communications group. He recommends:

Bruce Catton's The Army of the Potomac trilogy: Mr. Lincoln's Army, Glory Road, and A stillness at Appomattox.

Here is why James Mustich thinks it should be one of the 1000 Books You Read Before You Die:

James Mustich

Shelby Foote set out in the early 1950s to write a short (hahahahaha - Carol's addition), single-volume history of the Civil War; two decades and three thousand pages later, he completed his monumental trilogy, which details the combat from beginning to end in meticulous detail. Although other writers may better illuminate the economic and political underpinnings of the war, Foote evokes its heroic and tragic dimensions on a scale no one else has approached. As a result, The Civil War: A Narrative is more than just a historical record; it earns a place alongside the most significant works of American literature.