Bruce Catton (1899–1978)
Author of A Stillness at Appomattox
About the Author
Bruce Catton, whose complete name was Charles Bruce Catton, was born in Petoskey, Michigan, on October 9, 1899. A United States journalist and writer, Catton was one of America's most popular Civil War historians. Catton worked as a newspaperman in Boston, Cleveland, and Washington, and also held a show more position at the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1948. Catton's best-selling book, A Stillness at Appomattox, a recount of the most spectacular conflicts between Generals Grant and Lee in the final year of the Civil War, earned him a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1954. In 1977, the year before his death, Catton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Gerald R. Ford, who noted that the author and historian "made us hear the sounds of battle and cherish peace." Before his death in 1978, Catton wrote a total of ten books detailing the Civil War, including his last, Grant Takes Command. Since 1984, the Bruce Catton Prize was awarded for lifetime achievement in the writing of history. In cooperation with American Heritage Publishing Company, the Society of American Historians in 1984 initiated the biennial prize that honors an entire body of work. It is named for Bruce Catton, prizewinning historian and first editor of American Heritage magazine. The prize consisted of a certificate and 2,500 dollars. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: nps.gov
Series
Works by Bruce Catton
The Army of the Potomac: Mr. Lincoln's Army; Glory Road; A Stillness at Appomattox (1952) — Author — 671 copies
The Centennial History of the Civil War: The Coming Fury; Terrible Swift Sword; Never Call Retreat (1961) 311 copies
Two Roads to Sumter: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and the March to the Civil War (1656) 132 copies
Bruce Catton: The Army of the Potomac Trilogy (LOA #359): Mr. Lincoln's Army / Glory Road / A Stillness at… (2022) 104 copies
First Year of American Heritage: The Complete Contents of the First Six Issues of "the Magazine of (1958) 16 copies
American Heritage Civil War Chronology 14 copies
The coming fury Never call retreat 2 copies
AMERICAN HERITAGE (The Magazine of History). Volume XXVIII, Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 1976-77 (1977) 1 copy
Ethics and Armaments 1 copy
AMERICAN HERITAGE (The Magazine of History). Volume XX, Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 1968-69. (1969) 1 copy
The Civil War 1 copy
Books on the Civil War 1 copy
A MICHIGAN BOYHOOD 1 copy
American Heritage (4vol) 1 copy
Associated Works
Report of the Warren Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy (1964) — Afterword, some editions — 953 copies
A Sense of History: The Best Writing from the Pages of American Heritage (1985) — Contributor — 464 copies
Twenty Days: A Narrative in Text and Pictures of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1965) — Foreword — 177 copies
The Greatest War Stories Ever Told: Twenty-Four Incredible War Tales (2001) — Contributor — 29 copies
MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History — Summer 1989 (1989) — Author "A Matter of a Salute" — 19 copies
American Heritage Magazine Vol 23 No 2 1972 February (1972) — Contributor; Senior Editor — 15 copies
Best-in-Books The Silver Chalice; A King's Story; A Man Called Peter; The Day Chist Died; Kids Say the Darndest Things;… (1960) — Contributor — 8 copies
MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History — Winter 2011 (2010) — Author "A Madman's Business" — 6 copies
Rachel Cade / It's a Big Country / Pirate / A Stillness at Appomattox / Diamond (1957) — Contributor — 1 copy
Best-in-Books: Twilight for the Gods / How to Do It / Please Don't Eat the Daisies / Life at Happy Knoll / Stillness at… (1958) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Catton, Charles Bruce
- Birthdate
- 1899-10-09
- Date of death
- 1978-08-28
- Burial location
- Benzonia Township Cemetery, Benzie County, Michigan, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Petoskey, Michigan, USA
- Place of death
- Frankfort, Michigan, USA
- Places of residence
- Washington, D.C., USA
Benzonia, Michigan, USA - Education
- Oberlin College (1916, no degree)
- Occupations
- reporter
director
historian
journalist - Relationships
- Catton, William Bruce (son)
- Organizations
- American Academy of Arts and Letters ( [1955])
United States Navy (WWI)
United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of the Interior
American Heritage
Newspaper Enterprise Association - Awards and honors
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977)
Honorary Doctorate
Pulitzer Prize (History, 1954)
Members
Discussions
Shelfby Foote v. Bruce Catton v. James McPherson in American Civil War (July 2017)
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 109
- Also by
- 20
- Members
- 15,392
- Popularity
- #1,481
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 101
- ISBNs
- 271
- Languages
- 3
- Favorited
- 31