The Civil War in 50 Objects

by Harold Holzer, Eric Foner (Introduction)

The American companion to A History of the World in 100 Objects : A fresh, visual perspective on the Civil War

From a soldier’s diary with the pencil still attached to John Brown’s pike, the Emancipation Proclamation, a Confederate Palmetto flag, and the leaves from Abraham Lincoln’s bier, here is a unique and surprisingly intimate look at the Civil War.

Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer sheds new light on the war by examining fifty objects from the New-York Historical Society’s acclaimed collection. A daguerreotype of an elderly, dignified ex-slave, whose unblinking stare still mesmerizes; a soldier’s footlocker still packed with its contents; Grant’s handwritten terms of surrender at Appomattox—the stories these objects tell are rich, poignant, sometimes painful, and always fascinating. They illuminate the conflict from all perspectives—Union and Confederate, military and civilian, black and white, male and female—and give readers a deeply human sense of the war.

With an introduction from Pulitzer Prize winner Eric Foner and more than eighty photographs, The Civil War in 50 Objects is the perfect companion for readers and history fans to commemorate the 150th anniversaries of both the Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction, American History, Americana, War, American Civil War

380 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 2013

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you can’t help but knowing lately, this very weekend is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, fought in Pennsylvania from July 1-3, 1863, and which was the inspiration for Lincoln’s famous “Gettysburg Address.”

A number of wonderful books have been created for this occasion, some of which take advantage of a similar idea: focusing on artifacts, documents and other materials as a way to retell the story in a fresh way.

The Civil War in 50 Objects by Harold Holzer and The New-York Historical Society is one of these (and yes, the hyphen belongs in the title of the museum!)

This beautifully produced book examines the Civil War via objects from that era housed in the New-York Historical Society. Essays are organized around materials illustrating a theme, such as a discussion of slavery that highlights a small pair of wrist shackles sized to fit an infant slave. (Holzer observes, “…the cruelty or fear that inspired these particular contraptions is almost incomprehensible.”)

Some of the other objects featured include a pike believed to have been used in John Brown’s attack on Harpers Ferry, Grant’s handwritten terms of surrender at Appomattox, framed leaves from Abraham Lincoln's funeral bier, and a number of woodcuts, paintings, flags, and pamphlets from the time. [And by the way, if you have ever doubted the great influence of John Brown upon the zeitgeist of his time, check out his final statement to the Court before his execution. If you are familiar with Lincoln’s second inaugural address, you’ll recognize the similarities immediately.]

There are great stories in this book, some of them little-known anecdotes, and all of them informative and evocative of a time we can’t seem to forget. In fact, as the superb historian Eric Foner notes in his amazingly pithy yet comprehensive introduction, many of the questions raised back then remain unanswered and controversial still today. “In that sense,” he says, “the Civil War is not yet over.”

So this book is important, since the Civil War remains relevant in many ways, even 150 years after the critical Battle of Gettysburg. It can even help put current events in perspective, as with the anecdote in the book about New York’s Trinity Church using Joel in a sermon to help with recruitment:

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.” Joel 3:10 King James Bible, Cambridge Edition)

instead of, e.g., Isaiah 2.4:

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks…”

Religious texts always have something for every occasion! Perhaps that is why so many groups can use them to justify so many seemingly opposite beliefs.

Evaluation: This book would make a wonderful gift for the history buffs in your life. Even if you think you have already read a great deal about the Civil War, I can almost guarantee you will find stories in this book you didn’t know! While some details get a little glossed over, I don’t think in-depth coverage is the purpose of this book. Rather, it is a potpourri that you can pick up and put down as you will. It’s also beautifully bound.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Sean Sexton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holzer's "Civil War in 50 Objects" presents a series of objects related to the American Civil War and belonging to the New York Historical Society. A short story on some aspect of the war is told as each object is presented, in roughly chronological order.

The result is a unique and lovely way to tell pieces of the history of the Civil War. The book reads like a PBS documentary--the visual representations of each object nicely balancing the related story. I can't quite tell if the writing really is in a style more typical of visual documentaries, or if I'm just hearing echoes of Ken Burns' series in my head as I read. In any case, the result is a well crafted book that tells many important stories from the war.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m interested in this new style of history book that covers “X subject in Y number of objects.” Still, I was hesitant about this book because it feels to me like everything under the sun has already been covered on the topic of the Civil War – blue, gray, North, South, free, slave, Jo March, Scarlet O’Hara, blah, blah, blah, been there, done that.

I was very pleasantly surprised to learn quite a number of new things in this book, such as:

-New York City briefly gave serious thought to seceding and becoming their own little country (Abe Lincoln explained in person in no uncertain terms to the mayor that this was Not Happening).

-Despite how ridiculous the Zouvres’ uniforms look to modern eyes, they were considered some of the fiercest fighters of the Union army.

The book was compiled by the New York Historical Society made up of objects from their own collection, so there is a New York lens to some of it, which was unexpected, but fascinating to see how much the state and city were effected, despite not hosting any (official) battles – although the race / draft riots were worse, in my opinion, especially after learning children were specifically targeted just for being black.

The structure of the book itself is a beautifully written connected sequence of events as each object explains a piece of the war, and seamlessly lends itself to the next object, making its way from well before to just after the war.

The book starts off with a picture of shackles specifically designed for selling children, and the gut punches continue from there, bringing home the time period on an individual level rather than grand sweeping generalities.

Paintings, photographs, letters, pamphlets, clothing, and more all come together to create a truly personal presentation of what it meant to live though the American Civil War.

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw this book, I thought it might be rather short and simple and mostly pictures. I was thrilled to see that I was wrong. The author offers a detailed explanation of each object, often relating the objects to other historical facts of the time period they came from.

I learned a lot of things from reading this that I had not been aware of before and I liked that the book had a somewhat conversational tone. This made it more like talking to someone of knowledge about the objects in question rather than just reading a description.

I think sometimes we forget the value of objects and the stories they can tell about our history and where we came from. This book is a reminder of those who came before us and what they left behind as a legacy for us to remember and teach our children.

This was interesting, compelling and overall just a very well written and thoughtful look back at the days before in our human history. I would recommend this to anyone that has a fascination with the Civil War, or history in general. One of my favourite books on the subject this year.

This review is based on a digital review copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher.

[Stuart Endick · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who miss going to well curated and enlightening history museum exhibits during Covid this book published in 2013 is a tremendous boon. The objects selected for the 50 short essays are by turns riveting, iconic, and poignant. As a guide, the preeminent civil war historian and Lincoln expert Harold Holzer is informative, lively, and succinct. His words are a pleasure to read even if the subject matter deals with tragic events. I have only one small quibble. The copies of paintings in the book are a bit dark and muddy. But overall this is a great five star read.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holzer visited the New-York Historical Society and selected 50 of their artifacts to tell about episodes in the Civil War. I was fascinated by the items in their collection. He does an excellent job of describing the historical context of the item, and he chooses very eclectic pieces. For example: an admission ticket to the 1864 Metropolitan Fair in New York; a soldier's diary; a wooden wheel drum that held draft cards in 1863; a pike ordered by John Brown to arm his former-slave troops; a Zouave uniform.

Very nicely done.

[Suzanna Codd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to say this before I say anything else: The informational writing was good, but I just was not interested in most of the topics this book included.

I had to force myself to read most of the book(which in itself says enough) & it took me months to read.

I found some points very interesting, because I like reading about the civil war, and like I said before, the writing was good. I just didn't find the majority of this book captivating.

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, if dry, overview of the Civil War as seen through the objects of the time. Well recommended for anyone who is looking for a history light on battle statistics that can easily be enjoyed a small portion at a time.

Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/887980...

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a very difficult book to read. It brought the war home in ways I hadn’t previously appreciated. There’s always a certain vague romance to war, especially historical wars - until you read something like this, and it all comes crashing into the real world. I’ve never been a war romantic, but I have been guilty of not truly appreciating the hell endured by ALL people, in different ways. There’s also a lot of analysis of each object, which I found tedious at times, and I skipped through several times, preferring to experience the objects on my own. I think the book could have been even more powerful had it allowed the reader this freedom, rather than insisting on long-winded discussions.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting glimpses at individual moments throughout the war period, from a pike made for John Brown's ill-fated raid, to a newspaper printed on the back of wallpaper in supply-starved besieged Vicksburg. New York-centric, which is to be expected--a lot of emphasis is given to New York's response to wartime, including the horrific draft riots. I had no idea the mayor of NYC had made overtures to the Confederacy, threatening to secede due to his concern over loss of the Southern economy. Provenance and background is given for every artifact. A book of interest to Civil War history buffs, and museum/archives enthusiasts.

[Mike Glaser · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of the book should have been “The Civil War as seen from New York City in Fifty Objects”. The fact that the book was very New York City specific should come as no surprise since all of the objects are from the New York Historical Society but the author could have done a better job of expanding the scope of his objects since huge sections of the war are ignored. The authors attitude towards a number of his subjects also comes across as condescending at times as he feels the need to pass judgement on what he sees as his moral inferiors.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book - as you would guess from the title - tells the story of the Civil War through 50 objects. The objects all come from the New York Historical Society. Each chapter deals with one object and I thought this was a fun and informative book. It has a few famous documents in there like the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, but it also has many documents and sources that I had not heard of before - and I have read quite a bit about the Civil War. Recommended read for anyone that is new or experienced in studying the Civil War.

[Jessica Sedgwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a dry, dusty read; probably more suited for a scholarly session then light reading. For this, I was forced to dnf this book.
I couldn’t quite give it any lower then 3 stars simply because I had marked some pages that peaked my interest. It was just written in such a way that made the subjects boring. And I feel that there, the author was lacking. Because this should’ve been an interesting and insightful read.

[Ironically Nostalgic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking the novelty of material artifacts, the Civil War in 50 Objects creates a focused, curious approach to the period. The histories of famous documents like the Emancipation Proclamation are given their due, and it is all but guaranteed that the reader will not know this history. If you want ideas for digging deeper into the American Civil War, I can all but guarantee that you will find something that piques your interest in this collection.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I concur with many of the other reviewers in that this book simply doesn’t keep the attention of the reader. The artifacts discussed in the book are all housed at the New York Historical Society so this becomes a study of the war from a New York perspective only. There are a few interesting objects, and the writing is fine, but the fifty objects are so state centric that they don’t provide an encompassing view of the war. I don’t recommend this book.

[Tom Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of 50 tales told through objects of significance. some of this book is very basic, but there are surprise gems here. as a different way to see the history of the war it is a success. The chapters are short and the book reads best over a longer period with time to reflect. This is a perfect book for a busy reader or someone who wants an easier War read. I liked it, but I prefer a denser read.

[Carol Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is interesting and I learned a lot of interesting information about day to day events during the civil war. It includes objects that were personal, weapons, documents and a trove of other things and their stories. It is well-written and even if you don't read about all the objects, you will learn a lot about history from the chapters you explore.

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be Civil War fan or a viewer of Antiques Roadshow to curl up with this beautifully color illustrated volume of paintings, letters and objects and REALLY ENJOY. From Grant's portrait to the lost painting by Francis Carpenter of the Lincoln family to the letter from Ford's Theater Presidential box guest Clara Harris this is a jewel of a treasure trove of Civil War history.

[Desmond Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good way to learn about some lesser-known (to me) aspects of the Civil War, and to be reminded of how horrible it was. Handcuffs for a child slave; a bible from the Colored Children's orphanage in New York City, one of the few items saved after it was burned by a rampaging mob; a cartoonishly elaborate Zouave uniform; and many handwritten documents of daily life and famous events.

[Are Two · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I read it from the standpoint of visiting a museum and having a guide discuss the selections. The discussions were informative and not long and drawn out. Would definitely recommend if you’re a civil war neophyte as I am.

[Douglas Graney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entertaining book is not a "start at beginning and end at end" book. It's fun flipping through it and reading about different artifacts. An interesting micro look at the Civil War.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first half of this book for school, I found it pretty interesting, I just would have preferred to read only the chapters that really interested me, at my own pace.

[M DeGarmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting way to present major events in the Civil war by using 50 objects in the New York Historical Society. I learned many new details and found all 50 objects very interesting.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting and full of information. I did find the material presented in a slightly confusing way at times

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

You are a civil war buff. This book is a very easy quick read.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a different approach to take to the Civil War. I really enjoyed it.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes a fascinating approach to civil war history, progressing generally chronologically but with each chapter focused on a particular artifact. As the goodreads description states, the objects include everything “from a soldier’s diary with the pencil still attached to John Brown’s pike, the Emancipation Proclamation, a Confederate Palmetto flag, and the leaves from Abraham Lincoln’s bier”. Each chapter talks about both broader themes and personal stories that the artifacts connect to.

At first, I was hesitant to pick this up for fear it would be a dry cataloguing of objects, but I heard about it from several people and decided it was worth a try. As you can tell from my rating, I was very glad I gave it a chance! I could tell from the moment I opened the book that it was going to be good. First of all, this is just a beautiful book. The paper felt and smelled nice; the pictures were gorgeous; and the font was large and easy to read. As I read my way to a deeper analysis, I was also impressed by the organization. Although broad themes relating to the entirety of the war were discussed for most objects, the flow still felt chronological. While a timeline of battles wasn’t the point of this book, I did end the book with a better feel for the order of the events of the civil war.

My favorite thing about this book was the combination of looking at the big picture and at individual stories. I’ve recently read some books that really capture the feel of an era (The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England, An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England) and I love that. It’s amazing to feel (correctly or not!) that you’ve begun to understand what it would have been like to live in a particualr time period. This book gave me that feeling. I especially liked the revelation of the issues that would have been on people’s minds at the time. I also love non-fiction that focuses on the human element, since this is almost universily interesting no matter the official topic of a book. The stories attached to each object in this collection were touching and contributed a personal side to this story. Highly recommended.

This review first published Doing Dewey.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because it made me feel like I was actually visiting the society in person. Also, with some of the background information provided in each of the chapters, I felt like I was on a guided tour with someone that has a passion for Civil War history.

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw the title of this book, I started thinking about the kinds of items that would be covered. I thought the items would all be somehow related to the military. The authors of this book, however, took a much broader perspective, making this not about "just" the war, but about the times as well. I was also expecting a broad overview. Instead, this book is limited somewhat by documenting the 50 objects that are owned by or loaned to the New York Historical Society. As such, this feels more like a book about a museum exhibit, with items collected to tell a story. Given the objects are in New York, the Union and the North are over-represented in the book, as are objects related to New York. This isn't a detriment to the stories told, though, as there are plenty of good stories to go around. I liked the way the 50 objects and their short 5-10 page write-ups were similar to magazine stories - very easy to digest and covering topics I wouldn't have thought about. I learned quite a bit, but mostly about "the home front" of the Union, including the riots and politics you don't always read about in Civil War books. Note that a large number of the objects are written documents or artwork. In my galley copy these were difficult to see and difficult to read - I expect the published copy to be much better visually, although reading reproduced handwritten historical documents can often be quite difficult. I was expecting more physical objects that paper documents and printings, although the number is closer to 35 of the 50 objects being documents or paintings/etchings/photos. Why, even the book cover shows 7 objects, none of which are paper documents. Overall, I find the concept of "50 objects" a great way to show off a collection, and as a summary of a collection, this is a very nice effort.

Won through Goodreads First Reads program.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books about the US Civil War (1861-1865) are a dime a dozen, and there are only so many ways to tell the story of the war as a whole, given famous events and people that must be included in any general overview. This book avoids that problem. Built around 50 objects in the collection of the New York Historical Society, the book tells the story of the war through vignettes about each object. While in other hands this approach could be clunky, here it works: the objects give each chapter a concrete focus, while adding up to relatively thoughtful coverage. The photographs of each object or document are attractive and well chosen to ground the discussion.

Some of the topics were largely new to me - the role of drummer boys in the war; the New York race riots; the collections of 'carte' photographs that many soldiers and their families kept. Others were familiar but took on fresh aspects treated this way, such as John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, introduced through a discussion of the (unrealistic) wood and steel pikes Brown had specially made for the assault; or the later lives of the young couple that shared Lincoln's theater box on the night of the President's assassination.

In a few of the middle chapters, the discussion of how certain papers arrived in the Society's collection, and the tone of self-congratulation over the acquisitions, is a bit parochial. But even for a reader with no tie to New York and no interest in the Society itself, this book offers an absorbing and offbeat take on the Civil War.