1 comments about The Lincoln Reader.

1. A tremendous, authentic account of Lincoln's entire life, without modern interpretation. Furthermore a window into the quality people of the time. The authors include cabinet members, personal secretaries, even adversaries. The first parts may be more academic, but as the 179 selected accounts of some 65 period authors progress though the Civil War and to his assassination, the book is a tremendously fascinating chronicle of the tremendous qualities of this man. It only gets better and deeper to the very end; and at the end is a surprise worth reading the entire work for -- the account of his own dream, which presages his assassination. In my opinion, one of the most important books I have ever read. After reading the last chapter several times, I started again from the beginning, with a whole new outlook on the entirety of the work. A great book, providing an indispensable perspective of one of the most troubling times of history.

1 comments about The Civil War Diary of Anne S. Frobel.

1. This diary offers a very realistic view of the Civil War through a civilian's eyes who's house is taken over by forces. Anyone interested in the Civil War at all should read this wonderful book.

No comments about Fighting for Liberty and Right: The Civil War Diary of William Bluffton Miller, 1st Sergeant, Company K, 75th Indiana Volunteer Infantry (Voices Of The Civil War).

1 comments about The Life of General Stonewall Jackson.

1. This book tells about young Thomas Jackson as an orphan in Ohio. He went to many different places like his Uncle Brake's. In the end he went to West Point.

   As a lieutenant in the United States Army, he performed an amazing win over the Mexican forces. He was an artillery officer, and with his light artillery went toward the strong castle of Chapultepec. The Mexican troops killed or wounded all his unit except Jackson and another man. The two of them with two cannon weakened the fortress so much that the Americans stormed over the castle walls and took it.

   The book goes on about his career as an officer and general in the Confederate Army.

   I liked this book because it was pretty interesting. I didn't like this book because it made you feel like you were in an airplane over the battle, and not really at the battle. That is why I gave it only three stars.

No comments about Lee Versus Pickett: Two Divided by War.

No comments about A Citizen-Soldier's Civil War: The Letters of Brevet Major General Alvin C. Voris.

3 comments about Three Years a Soldier: The Diary and Newspaper Correspondence of Private George Perkins, Sixth New York Independent Battery, 1861-1864 (Voices of the Civil War).

1. The book, "Three Years a Soldier", by Richard Griffin, is one of the most interesting books on the Civil War that I have read in a long time. This book covers the three years of service by George Perkins of the 6th NY Independent Battery, Perkins being a great-grandfather of the author, Griffin. The book consists primarily of the Perkins journal and newspaper articles. George Perkins was clearly proud of his service and wanted posterity to read these documents.
   
   Many history books concentrate on "big picture" matters, such as wartime strategy, decisions made by leaders, etc. But an equally fascinating historical question is to understand the mindset of people of the time. Why did they do what they did, what was important to them, etc. Obviously this book falls into the second category and in a highly successful way. George Perkins is particularly of interest in this regard because he shares so many core values of his contemporaries in spite of having the education and background that could easily have made him much different. This only goes to show how deeply embedded these values were to Americans of the 1860s:
   
   - Patriotism. Perkins doesn't say much about why he joined the Army in Dec 1861, but a growing sense of patriotism shows itself in the course of the journal, particularly a resentment of those who had not joined the army.
   - Courage. George doesn't talk much about courage, but this was a core value that he obviously shared with his contemporaries. On a number of occasions, he mentions close calls with snipers or artillery while he was carrying out his battery duties under fire.
   - Religion. The Winter of 1863-64 saw a nationwide revival movement, especially in both Confederate and Union armies. George was an active participant in early 1864.
   - Individualism. George Perkins did his duty when in combat. But in camp or while training, he was a constant pain to his officers, consistently showing a resentment of authority and a feeling of superiority to those men placed over him. It is actually quite amusing to read of the various ways he flouted authority. To his credit he generally accepted, with few complaints, the punishment that almost always followed. George was certainly not the only soldier with this mindset.
   
   The most important things one can say about George Perkins are also the simplest. When his country needed him, he was there, and when the bullets were flying, he stood to his duty. I feel honored to read of his service and I recommend this book to all.



2. Perkin's diary offers great insight into the daily life of an ordinary artilleryman during the Civil War. Men in the artillery were cross-trainied and Perkins did a little bit of everything from driving caissons and battery wagons to serving on the gun crew. Also the 6th New York Independent Battery was first used as foot artillery and then later was made into horse artillery thus providing insight from an artilleryman's perspective who served with both the infantry and the cavalry. Reading the diary you live every day with Perkins. He was no perfect soldier and was often given extra duty for various infractions, usually for being late somewhere. I was amused by the number of entries that stated he didn't have to stand guard duty because he couldn't be found. The diary refelcts the ups and downs in his morale, his occasional bouts with illness, and his very palpable grief at the lost of a brother.



3. Although not a staple of Three Years a Soldier, the issue of white perception of race adds to the growing assurances that most northerners really were not abolitionists. Private George Perkins letters and commentary on slavery and blacks themselves rejects the popular elementary depiction of white Union soldiers liberating the slaves. Perkins reveals that he is against slavery not for its moral effects but rather its social implications. His letters consist of racist views and expressions thus perpetrating Perkins as antislavery but not an abolitionist.
   
   This diary and correspondence with the Middlesex Journal, the hometown newspaper of Woburn, Massachusetts, illustrate a soldier who joined as a patriot to fight for his country. However, the differences between Perkins's private thoughts and his public column bear additional attention. First, Perkins attitudes towards politics or public matters appear more frequently in the journal than his diary. The tendency to preach on the commitment to the cause and the moral superiority of those who act as the "defenders of our liberty [who] shall make our nation pure and Christian-like" reveal a man deeply committed to the ideals of a patriotic duty. (255)
   
   An interesting revelation in Perkins diary is his attitude towards officers, particularly when it comes to discipline. A republican who believed that he was morally and intellectually superior, Perkins saw his duty as a soldier as to question the commands and decisions of those above him in rank. Perkins did not subscribe to camp discipline and saw it as meaningless in the grand scheme of fighting for the Union. He desired officers who wanted to connect with their men, who shared their discomforts and tribulations. Interestingly enough is Perkins admiration for Major General Joseph Hooker, the much-maligned commander of the Army of Potomac during the Chancellorsville campaign. Perkins credits "Fighting Joe" commenting that his bravery, careful judgment, and treatment of common soldiers improved the army after Ambrose Burnside. Indeed, Perkins was high on Hooker but the general's political attachment to the radical republicans perhaps really illustrates Perkins affections for the man.
   
   This book adds to the ever-growing home front and community studies that illustrate the varying ideological perceptions of the common soldier. From political agendas to social commentary to racial attitudes, much can be gained using this work as an initial probe that could lead to larger texts. An outstanding introduction, which clearly puts Perkins's perspective in its proper place, this book is a great addition to a Civil War library.

No comments about Confederate Naval Cadet: The Diary And Letters of Midshipman Hubbard T. Minor, With a History of the Confederate Naval Academy.

1 comments about Exile to Sweet Dixie: The Story of Euphemia Goldsborough, Confederate Nurse and Smuggler.

1. Exile to Sweet Dixie is based on the research of the extensive Goldsborough collection. In addition to the chapters of her diaries and the hospital books, there are sections on her life, the political and military oppression under which she risked her service as nurse and smuggler, her Provost Marshal file with the documents used as evidence in her trial, and her personal papers that concerned her war activities. There are seven appendices of war related text written by her contemporaries effected by her service. Subsequent to the death of Goldsborough's granddaughter, the collection has been divided among family members and will almost certainly never be viewed as a whole or be accessible to the public. I chose to present this material as an annotated transcript of a valuable primary source. It is the drama of one woman's horrific war experiences; that of having a dying soldier tied to her back all night, being strip searched in front of the soldiers while imprisoned, and the emotional, physical, and mental toll of nursing and exile. I trust the reader to form their own perceptions and draw from it what they deem important to their particular interests.

No comments about The Custer Album: A Pictorial Biography of General George A. Custer.