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Untold Civil War, The: Exploring the Human Side of War
Was Gettysburg a tactical success, or was the outcome determined by a far more mundane factor: access to fresh water? How did the need to spread information about the dead and wounded give rise to the U.S. Postal Service? Did President Lincoln really age so dramatically during the course of the war, or was a rare disease to blame for the shocking difference in images of him from before and during the war? From overlooked elements, such as the role of weather, health, and high emotions, to the world-changing effect of the rise of female workers, to the many "firsts" including the introduction of standard time, pre-sized clothing, canned goods, toilets, and Santa Claus, "The Untold Civil War" reveals new facets of a seemingly well-known slice of American history, just in time to commemorate its 150th anniversary.
Dramatically illustrated with archival images and objects and compelling contemporary photography, this book delivers a surprise on every page: from precious personal mementos to forgotten battle sites; from newly recovered glass-plate negatives that reveal long-obscured photographic details to long-lost documents; this book adds a new dimension to our understanding of the Civil War and is a must-have for anyone with an interest in American history.
Six thematic chapters--such as "Characters," "Connections," and "A War of Firsts"--present a short introductory essay followed by approximately 30 self-contained stories that detail surprising, little-known, and fresh aspects of the war. Themes both large and small will be explored and contextualized, painting a fascinating portrait of our national character and showcasing the enduring impact of the Civil War.
Dramatically illustrated with archival images and objects and compelling contemporary photography, this book delivers a surprise on every page: from precious personal mementos to forgotten battle sites; from newly recovered glass-plate negatives that reveal long-obscured photographic details to long-lost documents; this book adds a new dimension to our understanding of the Civil War and is a must-have for anyone with an interest in American history.
Six thematic chapters--such as "Characters," "Connections," and "A War of Firsts"--present a short introductory essay followed by approximately 30 self-contained stories that detail surprising, little-known, and fresh aspects of the war. Themes both large and small will be explored and contextualized, painting a fascinating portrait of our national character and showcasing the enduring impact of the Civil War.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2011
6 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
James Robertson
333 books269 followersJames Robertson (born 1958) is a Scottish writer who grew up in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire. He is the author of several short story and poetry collections, and has published four novels: The Fanatic, Joseph Knight, The Testament of Gideon Mack, and And the Land Lay Still. Joseph Knight was named both the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year and the Saltire Society Book of the Year in 2003/04. The Testament of Gideon Mack was long-listed for the 2006 Man Booker Prize. And the Land Lay Still was awarded the Saltire Society Book of the Year Award in 2010. Robertson has also established an independent publishing imprint called Kettillonia, which produces occasional pamphlets and books of poetry and short prose, and he is a co-founder and the general editor of the Scots language imprint Itchy Coo, which produces books in Scots for children and young people. He lives in rural Angus.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 5, 2012
The focus of this book, in the author's own words, is (Page 6): "a unique collection of true stories that dramatize something often left untold in accounts of campaigns and battles--the human side of war." A strength of this work (and a bit of a weakness) is its many vignettes. The down side? Often, these are quite brief and sometimes make one want to know even more about a person or subject. The book is richly illustrated, with many photos. Slick pages tell of a desire to present a richly made book.
The volume is organized into six sections: the human side of war; the life of soldiers; resources, resolve and ingenuity; a war of firsts; warriors, poets & scoundrels; aftermath. A few examples suffice to indicate the scope of the work.
The human side of war. Examples here include the telling of the cavalier JEB Stuart's death; Fort Sumter; the horrific bloodletting at Cold Harbor.
The life of soldiers. The poor quality of shoes (if troops even had shoes!); a wild array of uniforms at the outset of the war (rebels in blue confused both sides in the conflict); the devastating incidence of various diseases.
Resources. The origin of the rebel yell; Dennis Hart Mahan's role in training future generals while he taught at West Point; slavery and the Confederacy.
A war of firsts. The first Medal of Honor and the background for it; rapid fire weapons such as the repeating rifle; the use of telegraph to enhance communication.
Warriors, poets & scoundrels. Patrick Cleburne, "Stonewall of the West"; Dan Sickles; Braxton Bragg; the story of Lewis Armistead and Winfield Scott Hancock.
Aftermath. After the war--the heavy losses as the steamship Sultana's boiler exploded; the Grand Review in which the two major Union armies marched through the streets of Washington, D. C.; Robert E. Lee's life after the Civil War.
If you want a detailed telling of the story of the Civil War, this is not the book for you. If you want a well-illustrated, slick book that provides a variety of vignettes about the war, to indicate the human side of the conflict, then this should be satisfying.
The volume is organized into six sections: the human side of war; the life of soldiers; resources, resolve and ingenuity; a war of firsts; warriors, poets & scoundrels; aftermath. A few examples suffice to indicate the scope of the work.
The human side of war. Examples here include the telling of the cavalier JEB Stuart's death; Fort Sumter; the horrific bloodletting at Cold Harbor.
The life of soldiers. The poor quality of shoes (if troops even had shoes!); a wild array of uniforms at the outset of the war (rebels in blue confused both sides in the conflict); the devastating incidence of various diseases.
Resources. The origin of the rebel yell; Dennis Hart Mahan's role in training future generals while he taught at West Point; slavery and the Confederacy.
A war of firsts. The first Medal of Honor and the background for it; rapid fire weapons such as the repeating rifle; the use of telegraph to enhance communication.
Warriors, poets & scoundrels. Patrick Cleburne, "Stonewall of the West"; Dan Sickles; Braxton Bragg; the story of Lewis Armistead and Winfield Scott Hancock.
Aftermath. After the war--the heavy losses as the steamship Sultana's boiler exploded; the Grand Review in which the two major Union armies marched through the streets of Washington, D. C.; Robert E. Lee's life after the Civil War.
If you want a detailed telling of the story of the Civil War, this is not the book for you. If you want a well-illustrated, slick book that provides a variety of vignettes about the war, to indicate the human side of the conflict, then this should be satisfying.
January 7, 2020
I personally thought that this was a interesting book By The Way. There were alot of interesting and super awesome tidbit tidbits.
January 22, 2013
Sounds like a cliche, but this truly is a book for both Civil War scholars and for folks who couldn't give a goober pea about history. This collection of Dr. Robertson's radio essays (from WVTF public radio in Roanoke, Va.) details fascinating stories from the everyday lives of soldiers, civilians and slaves -- all delivered in bite-sized pieces that make for easy, interesting reading. You can read one or 100 of them in one sitting. The pairing with beautiful artwork and historic photographs enriches the stories and is a wonderful touch added by National Geographic.
February 14, 2012
One of the best books I have ever read on the Civil War! Dr. Robertson's eye for the smallest detail makes this a must read for any history buff! His insight into the lives of not only the front line soldiers but also the war weary politicians and the beleaguered family at home really makes this book one of the top Civil War books ever written!
June 3, 2012
A compilation of short stories with pictures and supporting information about the Civil War. Very well told without bias. I hear Professor Robertson is one of the most sought out lecturers at Virgina Tech. Our relatives loved the class they took from him and later their kids thought he was great too. Rates right up there with Shelby Foote.
April 1, 2014
I've been reading a lot of these large coffee table type books lately, and I haven't to say, this one was awesome. Really great for civil war buffs, especially the ones who don't want to just read about the battles.
June 25, 2012
Beautiful 150th anniversary edition!
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February 7, 2014Excellent read with many small stories that enhance your understanding of the Civil War, bringing it that much closer due to the close humanity of the stories.
June 11, 2015
I loved this book. It is collection of short 1 page articles on interested events of the Civil War and the photos were tremendous. A great coffee table book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews