2 comments about Private Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War.

1. I unwrapped and read this book on Christmas Day, so you can see it's a quick read. It reads like a conversation, since that's what it is, a transcribed chronology of this soldier's memory of his time in the union army. I wish he had written the book earlier in his life ( he waited something like 62 years) because he might have added different details and been more reflective on certain things. But as it is, his recollections give you a way to view the war first-hand. And, since none of us can really go back to 1862 ourselves, these accounts are the best way to do it. Stockwell's book does a great job of clarifying what a civil war soldier's number one concern was - getting something to eat. A large part of his remembering of the war is the continual search for food. The book really brings this home. As you read certain passages you can get a very clear picture in your mind just how hard of a life this soldierin' actually was. The book also gives a good account of how casually death came to some soldiers. They are killed when they are eating, standing in line, etc. by stray bullets. And Stockwell is a witness and his descriptions of these scenes bring home the absurd horror of war. If the book has a failing it is that it is not in 7 volumes. That way, when you finish this first part so quickly, there would be six more to read. So, quick read or not, Rest in peace, old soldier. I enjoyed your adventure.



2. JUST AMAZING. This book is a first-hand account of my grandfather's grandfather's experiences in the Civil War. Byron Abernethy, my grandfather, took Elisha's writings and edited them for publishing. While I am a bit biased because this is part of my family history, I can guarantee you it is quite an interesting read to see how a high-school age boy reacted to war. At times lighthearted, but never treating the subject matter lightly, it is an engrossing, eye-opening read. I am so grateful he left his memories to share with us all. -His great great grandchild

1 comments about He saw the elephant: Confederate naval saga of Lt. Charles "Savvy" Read, CSN.

1. Why would you jack this book up. They sell in the stores for $25, all of Clarke's books are $25 or less, over that HAHA ridiculous, get a life.

No comments about Inside the Confederate Government: The Diary of Robert Garlick Hill Kean (Civil War Paperbacks).

1 comments about The Black Citizen-Soldiers of Kansas, 1864-1901.

1. First of all, a disclaimer. My grandfather, Horace Baker, wrote this book, so its interest to me is probably more than to most. This book was originally printed in 1927 and saw very limited distribution. Contrary to what Amazon says, Dr. Ferrell is not the author. However, what Dr. Ferrell did do for this reprint was to add some pertinent endnotes to link my grandfather's close (and sometimes incorrect) view of what was happening to the bigger picture of the Meuse-Argonne battle. Also, some helpful maps and a few photos have been added as well. About the text itself: Horace Baker's text begins on arrival at the front and ends with the armistice. It is well written with a simple, usually matter-of-fact style. There are a few purple passages but they do not distract too much from the facts and there are even a few bits of humor. It is very readable and flows easily.
   
   The recurring themes are the same that sadly occur thoughout most wartime experiences: exhaustion, hunger, exposure to the elements, fear, and violent death.
   
   I would recommend this book for anyone who has serious interest in The Great War. I also recommend Dr. Ferrell's book "America's Deadliest Battle: Meuse-Argonne, 1918" as a companion to this in order to understand what was happening on a larger scale.

4 comments about Soldiering With Sherman: Civil War Letters of George F. Cram.

1. Soldiering with Sherman makes reading about history interesting. This is a firsthand account of the civil war. You can tell that the editor did some painstaking research. I would suggest this book for any history buff.



2. Soldiering With Sherman: The Civil War Letters Of George F. Cram is a compilation of the letters of Union Sergeant George F. Cram's letters that reveal an educated young man's experiences as part of Sherman's army during the American Civil War. Advancing through the Confederacy with the 105th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Cram engaged in a number of key conflicts, including Sherman's famous "march to the sea". Cram wrote candid, literate letters conveying insights into the social dimensions of the Civil War. His writings are characterized by piercing objectivity, optimism, and a dry sense of humor. His vivid depictions of the campaigns in Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas are a superb and substantial contribution to Civil War studies. Soldiering With Sherman is an informative, engaging, and core title for any personal, academic, or community library Civil War studies collection.



3. Ms. Bohrnstedt's thoughtful and informative context for George Cram's letters is invaluable. The letters themselves are a treasure-- first-hand accounts from the trenches of the Civil War. Reading the book by the fireplace is like sitting with a Civil War maven, paging through scrapbooks with yellowed pages that come alive as she describes what is behind the scenes. What makes this book a 5-star gem? The quality of research and the uniqueness of the contribution to our understanding of our only violent, internal national conflict.



4. This wonderful book is comprised of all the letters home that George wrote to his mother. Thankfully he was a college student, doing what he felt was his duty, and his mother wanted to know all of the details of life in camp. Consequently we are fortunate to have information that covers all aspects of camp life. George gives his views on cleanliness, proper nutririon, drinking, & the ability to serve the country better as men of good character, He sometimes felt what was the use, but all in all he wanted to see the job finished. Upon returning home he & his uncle started a map company which is still in existence today.

No comments about All's for the Best: The Civil War Reminiscences and Letters of Daniel W. Sawtelle, Eighth Maine Volunteer Infantry (Voices of the Civil War Series,).

No comments about Gustavus Vasa Fox of the Union Navy: A Biography.

2 comments about One Shaker Life: Isaac Newton Youngs, 1793-1865.

1. For those of us who gravitate toward the written record of one person's life as a lens through which to understand broader historical trends -- and those of us who are particularly interested in 19th century American, religious, New England, and of course Shaker history -- this book is a gem. It brings the American Shaker religious sect to life in the person of Isaac Newton Youngs, a member of the New Lebanon, NY Society of Believers. For this we have not only the author to thank, but also her subject, who left 4,000 diary pages for her study. Through these pages we see more than a glimpse of Isaac's daily life. We get a comprehensive view of his spiritual, emotional, and vocational development from the age of 13, when he joins the New Lebanon Shakers, through adolescence (including a surprisingly frank account of his decades-long struggle to live in a celibate society), adulthood, and his shocking end. The author's sympathetic yet insightful analysis of this material puts Isaac's travails in religious, social, and psychological context, so that we understand Isaac and the world he lived in, and how it was perceived by outsiders. We are left with the sense of having known someone intimately, despite the spatial, chronological, and cultural remove.
   
   So often, history affords us just a glimpse of any one life. We are left to wonder just what that time and place was really like. This is not one of those books.



2. ONE SHAKER LIFE by Glendyne Wergland is one of the finest pieces of scholarship ever done on the Shakers. There is so much of merit, it is difficult to choose a few aspects to highlight. When the entirety of the book is considered, however, perhaps the most intriguing chapters are numbers three and seven.
   Number Three, "Youth and Lust" provides a totally new and detailed account of the struggle a young Shaker man faced trying to live a celibate life. Wergland uses vivid passages from his diaries and speaks of his guilt and efforts to confess. At the same time she uses nineteenth century literature on related sexual topics to contextualize these temptations.
   Chaper Seven, "Intimacy between Men in Shaker Society" continues this frank discussion. No previous author has so skillfully discussed issues raised by the use of flowery and sexual language between Shaker men in their correspondence, nor has possible Shaker homosexuality ever been so clearly and rationally explained. As a result, her treatment of Isaac's friendships shows a balanced and fairly accurate account of the relationships formed between Shaker men in the early nineteenth century.
   Other chapters of note include the one dealing with Isaac's involvement in the Era of Manifestations. We glimpse him as both an instrument as well as one who is given the task of testing the validity of these visionists. Another chapter deals with his contributions as a master clockmaker, the final craftsman in a three generations old family tradition. The book also has clear and well explained illustrations.
   In summary, Wergland has used previously unanalyzed primary resources to create a work of insight that informs. This effort helps give a correct and complete view of one particular Shaker during the earlier years of Shaker history.

No comments about When War Becomes Personal: Soldiers' Accounts from the Civil War to Iraq.

No comments about Biography of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.