Civil War Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Fort Sumter to Perryville |
1958 |
N/A |
| The Civil War, Vol. 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville |
1958 |
Buy |
| The Guns of Shiloh |
1914 |
N/A |
| The Civil War, Vol. 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian |
1963 |
Buy |
| The Civil War, Vol. 3: Red River to Appomattox |
1974 |
Buy |
| The Blockade: Runners and Raiders |
1983 |
N/A |
| Chickamauga and Other Civil War Stories |
1993 |
Buy |
| Forward to Richmond |
1983 |
N/A |
| War on the Mississippi: Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign |
1985 |
N/A |
| Rebels Resurgent: Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville |
1985 |
N/A |
| The Killing Ground: Wilderness to Cold Harbor |
1986 |
N/A |
| Pursuit to Appomattox: The Last Battles |
1987 |
N/A |
Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Stars in Their Courses |
1994 |
Buy |
| The Beleaguered City |
1995 |
Buy |
| The Correspondence of Shelby Foote and Walker Percy |
1996 |
Buy |
Short Story Collections#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Jordan County |
1954 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Tournament |
1949 |
Buy |
| Follow Me Down |
1950 |
Buy |
| Love in a Dry Season |
1951 |
Buy |
| Shiloh |
1952 |
Buy |
| September, September |
1978 |
Buy |
Shelby Foote (1916-2005) was an American novelist and historian from Greenville, Mississippi. He published five novels between 1949 and 1978, starting with Tournament and including the well-regarded Shiloh (1952), a novel about the Civil War battle told from multiple perspectives. His fiction drew on his Deep South background and often dealt with themes of history, race, and memory.
Foote is best known for The Civil War: A Narrative, a three-volume history published between 1958 and 1974 that runs nearly three thousand pages. He became a household name through his frequent appearances on Ken Burns’ 1990 PBS documentary The Civil War, where his storytelling ability and Southern accent made him the most memorable interview subject. He also published several shorter Civil War works, including studies of individual battles and campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Shelby Foote written?
Shelby Foote has written 21 books across four series.
What was Shelby Foote's first book?
Shelby Foote’s first book is The Guns of Shiloh, published in 1914.
How long did it take Shelby Foote to write his Civil War history?
Foote spent twenty years writing The Civil War: A Narrative, publishing the three main volumes between 1958 and 1974. The project consumed most of his writing career, though he continued to publish related Civil War material into the 1990s.