Battle Cry of Freedom by McPherson
I enjoyed Foote and Catton, but Battle Cry of Freedom is the book I’d give to someone who wants a decent, one volume summary of the conflict.
Good call.
Personally, I thought that one was tedious, and not original at all.
Agreed, Battle Cry of Freedom is a great read. Another very interesting book is The Life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest by John Allan Wyeth. As it turns out, the author became a monumentally important person himself. He served under General Forrest during the Civil War, then about sixty years later he served in WWI. He then went on to design and create the American system of Physician Training (I believe in New York City).
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3522
https://archives.alabama.gov/famous/j_wyeth.html