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Top 10 Civil War National Park Sites

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At least 22 of the 419 units in the National Park Service (NPS) system deal directly with the Civil War and a few others are related (like Rock Creek Park and Fort Monroe National Monument).  This does not even take into account the multiple sites devoted to Abraham Lincoln.  While we have not been to all of them yet, this is our ranking of our favorite NPS sites dedicated to remembering the Civil War.  Click here to see all of our Top 10 lists, including our favorite Civil War books and films.

10. Antietam National Battlefield (Maryland)

9. Pea Ridge National Military Park (Arkansas)

8. Manassas National Battlefield Park (Virginia)

7. Shiloh National Military Park (Tennessee-Mississippi)

6. Appomattox Court House National Historical Park (Virginia)

5. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (Tennessee-Georgia)

4. Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park (South Carolina)

3. Gettysburg National Military Park (Pennsylvania)

2. Andersonville National Historic Site (Georgia)

…and finally, our #1 NPS site dedicated to the Civil War:

1. Vicksburg National Military Park (Mississippi)

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Honorable Mentions

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (West Virginia-Maryland-Virginia)

Pecos National Historical Park (New Mexico)

Ford’s Theatre National Historic Site (District of Columbia)

List

Top 10 World War II Films

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The end of World War II occurred with the unofficial surrender of Japan 75 years ago on August 14, 1945.  To celebrate this anniversary we are listing the best movies set during World War II.  More than any other conflict in history, this war inspired the creation of countless films, many based on books we listed in our previous Top 10 lists.  The overwhelming numbers made it very difficult to narrow down our list, which could have easily included 30+ entries (including Academy Award-winning Life Is Beautiful-1997, The English Patient-1996, and Schindler’s List-1993.  These choices are simply our preferences and we would be interested to read your comments on your favorite films.

10. Red Tails (2012)

This was not the best written script, but it does show great dogfights and honors the Tuskegee Airmen.

9. Dunkirk (2017)

Three storylines of different duration are blended in this visually stunning tale of the evacuation of British soldiers from France in 1940.

8. The Imitation Game (2014)

The secret work of Alan Turing in decoding German messages was essential to the outcome of the war.

7. Pearl Harbor (2001)

This very long movie was uneven, but had impressive visuals of the December 7, 1941 surprise attack and subsequent Doolittle Raid.

6. Flags of Our Fathers ()

This gripping story of the attack on Iwo Jima was directed by Clint Eastwood in conjunction with Letters from Iwo Jima.

5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

This film is worth including simply for its excellent depiction of the D-Day landings.

4. Enemy at the Gates (2001)

Set during the Siege of Stalingrad, it tells the story of an interesting cat and mouse game between opposing snipers.

3. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

A long, slow, and brilliant film about POWs constructing a bridge for their Japanese captors.

2. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Not all heroes carried guns, as this real-life medic on Okinawa proved.

1. Unbroken (2014)

This biopic recounts the unbelievable struggles of Olympian and soldier Louie Zamperini.

Honorable Mentions

Band of Brothers (2001)

This HBO mini-series was based on the true stories of the men of Easy Company, 101st Airborne.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Entirely fictional and extremely entertaining, this is a modern reimagining of a 1940s comic book hero.

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

The internment of Japanese-Americans was a dark spot in American history (and is remembered at two National Park Service sites).

List

Top 10 Civil War Novels

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This summer, we are covering the many National Park Service (NPS) sites dedicated to remembering the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history with the greatest outcome (freedom for the country’s enslaved people).  We previously listed our Top 10 films about the war and you may recognize some of the same titles in our Top 10 Civil War novels (click here to see all our Top 10 lists).

10. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (1997)

Just try not to picture Jude Law and Nicole Kidman while reading this novel, unless you haven’t seen the movie yet.

9. Civil War Stories by Ambrose Bierce (1891)

Before he went on to become a famous San Francisco newspaperman, Bierce served in the Union army.

8. Shiloh by Shelby Foote (1952)

A novelization of the bloody Tennessee battle by a leading historian featured prominently in Ken Burns’ documentary The Civil War.

7. Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor (1955)

Andersonville was an infamous prison camp and is now a National Park Service site.

6. Confederates by Thomas Keneally (1979)

The Battle of Antietam is the setting for the climax of this novel by the author of Schindler’s List.

5. The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara (1998)

Picks up where his father’s (and our #1) novel leaves off after Gettysburg.

4. The March by E.L. Doctorow (2005)

Join Sherman’s march from Georgia to North Carolina alongside a fascinating cast of characters.

3. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936)

The origin of two legendary characters of the silver screen: Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler.

2. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (1894)

A classic that you might have been forced to read in grade school, but is worth a reread.

…and finally our #1 novel about the American Civil War:

1. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (1975)

This book about Gettysburg also made it to #1 on our Top 10 Novels set in a National Park list.

Honorable Mentions

Uncle Tom’s Cabin or Life Among the Lowly by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)

This story of slavery is not about the Civil War, but it may have helped start it.

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1891)

Some of Whitman’s best poems were inspired by his time as a nurse during the war.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)

The Civil War provides the backdrop for Louisa May Alcott’s masterpiece.

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List

Top 10 Civil War Films

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This summer, we are going to cover the many National Park Service (NPS) sites dedicated to remembering the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history with the greatest outcome (freedom for the country’s enslaved people).  Part of what makes the United States a great nation is its ability to remember the painful chapters in its past (i.e. Andersonville and Manzanar National Historic Sites).  It is also important to recall where we started so we can accurately see how far we have come and the positive trajectory we (as a nation) are on.  If you keep up with the daily news it is difficult to get this perspective, especially when living through periods of historical change.  That is what makes our NPS sites essential to the future of our republic.

With that long preamble, we now present our first Top 10 list dedicated to motion pictures.  So make some popcorn and find a comfortable seat!

10. Gods and Generals (2003)

This epically long film could have been titled “The Stonewall Jackson Movie.”

9. The Beguiled (1971, 2017)

More of a psychological thriller than a war movie.

8. Glory (1989)

The story of a regiment of African American troops in the Union Army.

7. Ride with the Devil (1999)

This film directed by Ang Lee follows guerrilla fighters in Missouri.

6. Free State of Jones (2016)

Tells the story of a revolt against the Confederacy in Mississippi in the middle of the Civil War.

5. Cold Mountain (2003)

A look into life on the home front in the South (and based on the novel).

4. Gettysburg (1993)

At over four hours, it does a decent job explaining the three days that changed American history.

3. Lincoln (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis did arguably the best job of the many actors to portray Abe Lincoln.

2. Harriet (2019)

Believe it or not, Harriet Tubman led troops during the Civil War.

…and finally our #1 movie about the American Civil War:

1. Gone with the Wind (1939)

A classic.

Honorable Mentions

Ken Burns’ documentary The Civil War (1990)

This nine-hour marathon changed documentaries forever and made historian Shelby Foote a star.

The Blue and the Grey (1982) and North and South (1985)

Mixed reviews for these two television miniseries from the 1980s.

Little Women (1918, 1933, 1949, 1994, 2019, etc.)

The war provides the backdrop for the many films based on Louisa May Alcott’s masterpiece.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

List

Top 10 National Park Service Sites for Social Distancing

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Last week we chose our Top 10 sites for social distancing in the 62 National Parks, so these are our selections from the other 357 National Park Service (NPS) units.  Many NPS sites concentrate people at a single attraction or crowded overlook, but at these parks it is easier to practice social distancing and explore at your own pace. We also chose places where it is not too hot in the summer (with apologies to the awesome Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument). Click here to see all our Top 10 lists. 

10. Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Missouri)

Numerous trails to hike and miles of rivers to float through a beautiful hardwood forest

9. City of Rocks National Reserve (Idaho)

Rock climbers congregate at specific spots, but there are plenty of scenic trails to explore

8. Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee)

There are 67 miles of trails and free campgrounds along the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway

7. Cedar Breaks National Monument (Utah)

Hike away from the NPS visitor center to find space at this mini-Bryce Canyon

6. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (Montana-Wyoming)

In addition to the lake, there are numerous trails to explore above the cliffs

5. Buffalo National River (Arkansas)

You do not have to hop in a canoe to see the Ponca Wilderness, there are several hiking trails

4. Lava Beds National Monument (California)

Try self-guided caving through lava tubes in this remote section of northeast California

3. Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland)

Hit the trails to find solitude in the forests around Camp David

2. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (Tennessee-Kentucky)

There are 400 miles of trails here for hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders

…and finally our #1 National Park Service site for social distancing:

1. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Idaho)

Trailheads provide access to cinder cones, lava tubes, and tree molds (though it can get hot)

Honorable Mentions

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (Nevada)

There are neither trails nor any development at all in this new NPS site in Las Vegas

Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico)

One of several seldom-visited NPS sites to visit once the Navajo Nation reopens

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Kansas)

Bison roam this restored grassland in the hills of eastern Kansas