Curiosities of the Civil War: Strange Stories, Infamous Characters & Bizarre Events

by Webb B. Garrison

Civil War buffs, be warned: Webb Garrison’s Curiosities of the Civil War may catch you off guard.

Packed with obscurities and bizarre anecdotes, it spills over with specifics you’ve likely never heard. Debated, reenacted, and analyzed, the Civil War has been the subject of countless books, films, and scholarly research—many of them quite repetitious. This nuanced perspective on the war provides a glimpse beyond the bloody battles, casualties, and political conflict. You'll discover:

The first sitting president to be exposed to enemy fire
What badgers, pigeons, and bear cubs had in common during the war
Which of Stonewall Jackson’s limbs received its own proper burial
The turtle-shaped ship designed to douse its opponents with boiling water
Which Confederate general was responsible for introducing camels to the Southwest

This cache of peculiar characters and stories will deepen your understanding of the war and the people who engaged in it.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction

558 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Webb Garrison, formerly associate dean of Emory University and president of McKendree College, wrote more than 55 books. Before his death in 2000, Garrison lived in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.

Reviews

[MKF · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is just a massive volume of Civil War facts that are fun to read and you learn a lot about different parts of the war. I had planned on just skimming it but it drew me in pretty quickly which is why I hate giving this one star. The majority of the facts are interesting and not well known but I wouldn't call all of them strange or bizarre.
The problems are the usual ones with bad spellings and the obvious fact that some of the words were wrong , and some of the writing I found confusing. There is also the common problem found in fact books where the authors repeat facts and then hopes to get away with it by rewriting it. Also there is chapter one the title mentions both Davis and Lincoln living a certain distance apart in their younger years. The fact that's actually in the chapter though is them living the same distance apart during the war years as they did in their younger days. The fact about the two living apart a certain distance that is supposed to be in chapter one as mentioned in the title is actually at the end of chapter 19. So the fact in chapter 1 is either in the wrong chapter or the author actually wrote the title wrong. These issues are the biggest problems I have with this book and they're are the main reason I gave this book one star.
Besides these problems I found parts to be really boring and others that dragged. Other chapters were better and were the ones that I easily sped through. So in the end I enjoyed this book but there were so many problems that distracted me.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that this book took me an insanely long amount of time, but I enjoyed it. Nonfiction books usually take me a longer time and this one took an exceptional amount of time to read since there was no linear story line. There are a bunch of semi-connected facts in a vague theme. All of them are pretty interesting and I feel like I have a chance at winning Trivial Pursuit now.

I recommend treating this as a sporadic read. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book had I tried to read it in one sitting. However, I would read a few chapters here and there in between other books. This helped me stay interested and I didn't think I lost anything from the book through doing it this way.

Civil War buffs will enjoy this book or anyone into untold stories from history.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many Little Known Facts

A well researched book with many little and unknown facts of the Civil War. This book is filled with events that happened mostly behind the scenes that really shaped the war and its final outcome.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title details, "Curiosities of the Civil War", is definitely filled with Strange Stories and Bizzarre Events. Not only that, but you will find out about people in history who you may not have known, had anything to do with the Civil War. Webb Garrison has taken pain staking steps to research and compile all the little and unknown facts about the Civil War that even the most avidCivil War Buff will find interesting and compelling.

Here are just a couple of the interesting facts that you will find in this book. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. was thoroughly involved with the Civil War, as he survived such battles as Balls Bluff, Antietam, and Fredericksburg, before beginning his practice as an attorney. Another person is Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women", spent her time tending to the wounded as a nurse. She went about her work without any recognition. And then there were the Camels, which were introduced into the Civil War in the Southwest, by a Confederate General. These facts along with many more can be found on the pages of "Curiosities of the Civil War."

As a reader you will be caught off guard in many cases by the variety of facts that you may not find anywhere else. This practical book will be a welcome addition to any Civil War Buff's Library. I highly recommend this book to any and all U.S. History Buffs. You will be amazed at what you will learn.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review:

The first thing I must admit is the Civil War has never been one of my favorite times in history. However, this book intrigued me from the moment I read the title. From the title I imagined it would be interesting stories about the war. I was correct, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Curiosities of the Civil War. The book is full of human interest stories about the Civil War.

There were plenty of times I was laughing as I was reading the book. The chapters I enjoyed the most were “Famous – Or Soon to Be.” This chapter read like a who's who in the Civil War. It was fascinating to read the rest of the story behind these people. Another chapter, I enjoyed was “The Names were Changed,” which was people who had changed their names. Many of these were foreign born soldiers who sought to Anglicanize their names.


I would recommend Curiosities of the Civil War to anyone who enjoys history or is a Civil War buff.


**Disclaimer**

I received this book free of charge from BookSneeze, in exchange for my honest opinion. Views expressed are mine, and I am receiving no compensation, nor was I required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too scattered for this student of the Civil War.

Webb Garrison's Curiosities of the Civil War: Strange Stories, Infamous Characters, and Bizarre Events is a well-researched , hefty book that does deliver what it promises - a collection of odd things about the Civil War.

I read a lot of history and it seems to me that there are two main ways to organize a book about history. You can go with the more traditional timeline approach - tell the story in the order that it happened (narrative history). Or, you can go with themes - study the themes of the history as the writer sees them. For example, a Civil War historian can look into the evolution of military technology and techniques or focus on civil rights in the North and the South. Most historians try for a combination of the two and pick several themes and follow them as they tell a narrative history.

 Curiosities of the Civil War goes with the less popular "bathroom reader" style. It is literally a collection of facts, interesting as most of them are, with only the barest of themes to hold them all together...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books offers a look into the Civil War with unknown facts. It is divided into nine chapters and starts with an Introduction "Every Aspect of the War Produced Its Own Crop of Curiosities."
You will be able to wow people with these facts...one was that horses were more valuable than people. When battle started the officers hid behind trees to save the animals...while the soldiers went ahead into battle.
I found it interesting that some of the wives followed their husbands into battle. They provided them with home cooked meals, and even followed then to prison...can you imagine that happening today? Another remarkable face is that a Confederate prisoner who becomes a Supreme Court Justice.
I enjoyed this book and would recommended it!

I was provided with a free copy of this book by BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review!

[Sana Noor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, first things first. I had no idea about the Civil War before i read this book. From the title I imagined it would be interesting stories about the war. I was correct, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Curiosities of the Civil War. The book is full of human interest stories about the Civil War.

This books offers a look into the Civil War with unknown facts. As the title details, "Curiosities of the Civil War", is definitely filled with Strange Stories and Bizzarre Events. Not only that, but you will find out about people in history who you may not have known, had anything to do with the Civil War.

I highly recommend this book to any and all U.S. History Buffs. You will be amazed at what you will learn.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a student of the American Civil War, I would recommend this book. There were events and individuals that you probably wouldn't read in other Civil War books.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of cool, unique fact about the war.

[Zach Opsitnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but oddly written. Just lists of facts upon facts and it bounces around a bit too much to stay linear.