Gettysburg (History Channel's Civil War Week)

He lived and breathed it. Over 25 honorary degrees and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Read his Army of the Potomac trilogy -- it will knock you flat on your ass.

 

I will admit to having not been too familiar with Catton.
But I will cast a vote in favor of my man Shelby Foote.

 

Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson is a great one-volume treatment on the subject.

 

I went to a reenactment this afternoon, first one I've been to in several years, and realized it wouldn't be a good hobby for me to get into. I'm sure eventually when my side was scripted to be on the bad end of it I'd get swept up in emotion, launch a one-man charge and bludgeon somebody or something!

 

This.

McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom should be one of the first places the fledgling Civil War junkie should visit.

Not this.

What they've done to the network formerly known as the History Channel is fucking disgraceful. Mrs. Birdscribe teaches U.S. History at the local CC. I ask her every time I see a promo for one of these shows: "What week are you lecturing on the ice road truckers or the swamp people?"

I get the requisite icy "I'm not" response.

That said, I always point out that my dad and uncle were 30 years early. Had there been a "Pawn Stars" in the 1970s and 1980s, the Stud Puppet and his brother would have been naturals. They're the original Pawn Stars.

 

McPherson is a douche. Nothing fucking more.

 

There's nothing wrong with ice road truckers, lumber workers or swamp people, but 99.997% of what they do is not "history."

 

Exactly. Put them on Discovery Channel or TLC. They're fine there. They don't fucking belong on a channel ostensibly called "The History Channel."

 

Care to elaborate, SJ? Not casting aspersions one way or another; just curious about the broadside.

 

He is known for making ill informed statements - either out of ignorance or malice - linking heritage groups to neo-Nazis. It's because of him there is a need for the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

 

Let's see. Distinguished American historian vs. Professional Descendants of Traitors in Defense of Slavery. Tough call.

 

I think it's a brilliant move by the history channel merge reality tv with real history. It shows what America once was and the idiot nation that we have become.

We now take our cue from pawn shop owners instead of Generals.