Don’t Know Much About The Civil War by Kenneth C. Davis

Merits: Kenneth C. Davis is attended Concordia College and Fordham University, both in New York. He has lectured at the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History and contributed to The New York Times and other publications.

Material: Hear someone yelling about statues and “they took’r jobs”? Realized neither of you know much about the history behind those statues? As the title implies, this book is literally for you! Kenneth C. Davis covers key information from the American Civil War with broad strokes making it a great place to start learning about America’s greatest internal conflict.

Grade: Herodotus. This book is history covered from a panoramic angle making it a decent general overview. Both sides are covered, and it’s not all just about the battles. Great for getting your feet wet with some general history that isn’t dull or dry reading.