About the Author

Shelby Foote was an American historian and novelist. He was born on November 7, 1916, in Greenville, Mississippi, and attended school there until he entered the University of North Carolina. During World War II he served as a captain of field artillery but never saw combat. After World War II he worked briefly for the Associated Press in their New York bureau. In 1953 he moved to Memphis, where he lived for the remainder of his life.Foote was the author of six novels: Tournament, Follow Me Down, Love in a Dry Season, Shiloh, Jordan County, and September, September. He is best remembered for his 3-volume history The Civil War: A Narrative, which took twenty years to complete and resulted in his being a featured expert in Ken Burns' acclaimed PBS documentary, The Civil War. Over the course of his writing career, Foote was also awarded three Guggenheim fellowships.Shelby Foote died in 2005 at the age of 88.

Reviews

Novelist Foote's credentials as a Civil War historian are impeccable, and this account of one of the war's pivotal campaigns displays the flair for turning complex events into a story that made The Civil War: A Narrative (Vol. 3, Audio Reviews, LJ 5/15/91) a modern classic. Choosing Foote to narrate his own work might seem like a good notion, considering his success as a charming conversationalist in the popular Ken Burns film The Civil War. Unfortunately, reading from text, even his own, is a craft Foote has not mastered. Despite obvious affection for his subject and the suitability of his gentle Southern drawl for this chronicle of men who, like General McClernand, attempted to forge a path from the bayous to the White House, Foote is too subdued and monotonous to do justice to the vitality of his account. The program is further flawed by distasteful drum cadences that seem more appropriate for a military funeral. The charming photo of a pipe-smoking Foote on the package promises more than it delivers. Not recommended.‘Barbara Mann, Adelphi Univ., Garden City, N.Y.