After the Civil War: The Heroes, Villains, Soldiers, and Civilians Who Changed America

by James I. Robertson Jr.

Returning to the turbulent days of a nation divided, best-selling author and acclaimed historian James Robertson explores 70 fascinating figures who shaped America during Reconstruction and beyond. Relentless politicians, intrepid fighters, cunning innovators—the times called for bold moves, and this resilient generation would not disappoint. From William Tecumseh Sherman, a fierce leader who would revolutionize modern warfare, to Thomas Nast, whose undefeatable weapon was his stirring cartoons, these are the people who weathered the turmoil to see a nation reborn. Following these extraordinary legends from the battle lines to the White House, from budding metropolises to the wooly west, we re-discover the foundation of this great country.From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, Audiobook, American History, Biography, Politics

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2015

About the author

James I. Robertson Jr. is an Alumni Distinguished Professor of History at Virginia Tech. He published the definitive adult biography of Stonewall Jackson, Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend, and also wrote Standing Like a Stone Wall for young adults. He lives in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Reviews

[Porter Broyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book. The book is a number of short synopsis of characters from the Civil War and their lives after the Civil War.

Pros: It talks about a lot of characters that are significant, but that you might miss.

Cons: The coverage of the characters is very short. This required the author to summarize various characters/events. In some cases, I felt that this summary was too brief and in some cases misleading this lead me to question the coverage of the characters I did not know.

Let me give you two quick high level examples:

1) Andrew Johnson. The story presented provided the traditional narrative that he survived the impreachment process by a single vote. The only reason why he survived this was because the Radical Republicans ended the proceding immediately after it was clear they didn't have the votes. EG as soon as it became impossible to remove him from office, they stopped counting. The other problem that I had is that the book kind of implies that this was the end of his life. There is nothing after the impeachment. In reality, he went on to become the only former president to serve in the Senate (having won the position by a single vote!). (John Quincy Adams was the only former president to serve in the House.)

2) Jefferson Davis. His story after the Civil War was really abreviated. His trial and life warranted an entire book---see my review of Secession on Trial: The Treason Prosecution of Jefferson Davis https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The better you know the characters, the less you like the coverage of books.

BUT there are so many characters that flew under my radar that were covered, that I found myself enjoying the book nonetheless.

[Mike Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief Biographies but Works
The book is a collection of incredibly brief thumbnail biographies of some of the civil war's greatest and some not so great personalities. In Aggregate it worked for me because it tied so many individuals together at the same time in history. If you already have some background knowledge of particular people, you will probably scream at what they chose to include or chose to ignore. Often a historical detail not mentioned in one biography is included in another. Yet in aggregate, it conveys the essence of what the nation was like at that point in time. However, if your looking for a in-depth history or intricate details, you may take a pass.

It's also a reminder that our politics have had been rife with political disagreements, ineptitude, scandal, immorality, greed, cronyism, nepotism, name calling and petty feuds. Many presidents lost the popular vote and yet won the electoral vote. And our nation continues to survive.

[A.M. Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this overview of key people during and after the war. I listened to the audio version and thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

[Kendall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flawed execution of a valid idea--biographical sketches of significant figures before, during, and after the Civil War grouped by topic. But there were too many sketches, and so they were too shallow, shallow to the point of being historically inaccurate. The author acknowledges the southern myth of the "lost cause" by which many tried to expunge slavery from the war aims and excuse the northern victory. Yet he repeats many of the bromides of the lost cause in extolling Lee, diminishing Grant, excusing rebels, and fairly railing against the uncompleted project of reconstruction and African American equality.

[Ben Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. When I started it I just assumed I was about to read a recap of the Reconstruction period (which I know very little, so figured I’d benefit). But this was totally different.

This was, rather, a collection of thumbnail bios of just about every military leader, character, businessman, Inventor, and politics. Of the impact on the war, and then what happened to them after the war, and how/when/where they passed. Great info, just enough.

I recommend this book.

[Timothy Gore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not waste your time. Overall generalized statements about the historical figure he writes about are rampant. The author, with a definite bias for the confederacy, glorifies the south and minimizes Union soldiers and Generals. His whole treatment of Grant alone is laced with half truths and is sickening. Look elsewhere if you want the truth .

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little collection of post-war mini biographies.

This 2015 collection by Virginia Tech professor emeritus Robertson is best viewed as a neat little diversion from more ponderous histories/ biographies. Essentially one big "epilogue" -- it offers short (3-5 page) biographies of various Civil War era individuals focusing on their post war lives and accomplishments (or lack thereof).

It runs the gamut from Lincoln's cabinet to generals and partisans on both sides, industrialists, and various hangers on (composers, photographers, spies, poets, etc).

There's a general Southern tilt to the writing but it's not overbearing and some of the assertions are debatable/ incomplete especially in light of recent scholarship (the fairly dismissive view of Grant's presidency being the most prominent), but overall it's a fun, quick little quasi- reference book that casts a wide net, even if it doesn't delve too deeply into any single subject.

[Vinnie Teresi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting albeit brief look into some historical figures that shaped the postbellum period. This book served as a good jumping off point to decide who I want to learn more about to better understand this time. However, there were multiple date errors in the book that gave me the impression that it was not well edited and took away from the books credibility.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of numerous historical figures from the Civil War era.

[Cameron Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to on Audible and thoroughly enjoyed.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice collection of min-biographies of famous, and not so famous, figures connect with the civil war. Some 5 to 10 page each for about 50 different persons, all but Lincoln.
Strongly recommended for all with an interest in American history.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book written by James Robertson is a must-read book!

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I really liked this audiobook. Maybe only 3 1/2 stars worth, but still, I more than just liked it. I suspect I liked the narrator because the content was reasonable but not spectacular. It is a rapid series of biographies on what happened to various people AFTER the War Between the States. I found it interesting and pleasant to listen to, thus, 4 stars.

"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"

Actually, they were floating mines.

I cringe a little when people call it a civil war. Technically, it wasn't. It was a war between states that considered themselves more of a confederation than a nation... sort of like the European Union is today. When UK voted to secede from the EU was that considered treasonous? I don't recall that idea even being discussed. The US federal government wanted very much to try Jefferson Davis (former President of the Confederacy) for treason, but dropped the case when they realized that if Davis won his case, it would have implied that secession was constitutional. (Davis's defense was that he had not been a citizen of the USA at the time of the alleged treasonous acts.) Davis never had much of a job after that... perhaps because he felt that a lesser job than those he held before would be beneath him. Exactly how he fed his family is a mystery to me.

I'd like to read this book again some time in the future. It is a good, quick review.

[Megan Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This is a collection of short blurbs on different significant personalities that made up the Civil War and the Reconstruction period that followed. I knew little about Reconstruction, so I appreciated this brief synopsis more than the average reader who probably who knew more at the start than I. However, I readily see what other reviews say about the book seeming to have a bias towards the Confederacy throughout, as well as the descriptions being too brief and cursory. But the author’s repeated insights into the remarkable changes that took place during and as a result of the Civil War were what kept me reading. Inventions, innovations, etc. The establishment and standardization of clothing sizes in small, medium and large, for example, that the uniforming of so many soldiers necessitated. I had no idea. Among others were the creation of war photojournalism; new advances in railroad transport, in medical and ambulatory treatment and transport, in prosthetics, in logistics; the origin of the term “sideburns,” etc. Overall readable.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Robertson's "After the Civil War: The Heroes, Villains, Soldiers, and Civilians Who Changed History" is a 9 part book that summarizes a sequence of biographies of different people whose influence did change the course of history from the end of the Civil War to the start of the 20th century. Each abbreviated section goes over everything from generals to presidents to innovators in this uncertain time trying to bring the union back together. At times some of the biographies are overdone & at times they aren't long enough. Also the group of people that are chosen for this book which is also in partnership with National Geographic are an interesting cross section of things from that era. Overall for people who know a lot about the Civil War & Reconstruction Era this will not reveal much new information. If, however, you are a casual person who wants to understand part of this era this book is a good supplement to things from that time frame.

[Maeve Lanning Stockman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a slog. I liked the premise but not the execution.
The book needs a stronger editor, there's some sloppiness and more than a sprinkling of personal opinions from the author.
Never have I read a book that describes each person's physical appearance so thoroughly and without a single flattering word. I was surprised to see this book was published in 2015, some of the language felt dusty and insensitive.
Except for the last two chapters, the groupings didn't make alot of sense to me. The chapter introductions were like mini versions of the following bios, which was unnecessary and I started skipping them.
All that being said, you can skim this book and learn some interesting tidbits, but do take things with a grain of salt. I couldn't tell if the author is a southern sympathizer or just personally dislikes many of the northern folks he writes about. Either way, yikes.

[Amani · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Civil War: The Great and The Not So Great
The book review of After The Civil War by James Robertson

After the Civil War, written by James Robertson, explains the influential people during and after the war. The novel was set in the mid-1800s to the early 1900s and includes many heroic and cruel figures of that time. The novel contains important aspects of about military generals and the successful businessmen. After the Civil War, creates an excellent understanding of the wartime efforts, however, in some parts it falls flat and dry.
James Robertson created this novel to be a collection of different people’s contributions to the Civil War. Although Robertson did a commendable job at telling each of the character's stories, he did not create an interesting storyline. For example, in the chapter “In the Shadow of Lincoln”, Robertson talked about life before the Civil War and how the tension between the North and the South ultimately led up to the war. The first chapter of the book lacked a lot of imagery and gave a down to earth description. In Chapter three he elaborated on the war, however, Robertson left out many important figure of the time. Important people that were left out included, Harriet Tubman, and James Garfield, who contributed greatly in the Civil War. Despite this, Robertson did a commendable job in explaining the military mindset of both the North and South.
Robertson writes an extensive part of the novel based on the military generals. He captures an excellent image of the mindset of both generals without being biased to either side, and the novel felt was more interesting at this section. In one section of the book, Robertson elaborated on Civil War doctors, and why they played a significant role in keeping the military soldiers healthy,even though they had minimal resources to work with. He explained the mindset of those in the wartime and their efforts outside of the battlefield which history tends to overlook. Towards the end of the novel, he talks about many of the different post-Civil War entrepreneurs and their contributions to American society. Robertson starts to elaborate on the rise of America and the different socio-economic figures that were emerging in 20th century.
After the Civil War, though lacking in some parts of the story, it made a strong case for an excellent read. He was able to capture a unbiased description of the 1800s and early 1900s. He explains many key figures to the Civil War that achieved great feats in their fields and their wartime efforts. This is a respectable book and should be read by history buffs and by students in the classroom setting.

Rating: 4.0/5.0 stars
Work Cited: Robertson, James. After The Civil War. National Geographic Society, 2015

[Bruce Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Civil War: The Heroes, Villains, Soldiers, and Civilians Who Changed America, by James I. Robinson Jr. (2015, 400pp or 11 hours audiobook). Snapshot descriptions of 70 individuals directly or tangentially connected to the Civil War, offering select career/personal highlights. Many are interesting but few are compelling biographical sketches. At best, this compilation might pique readers interest in one or more characters, possibly leading them to real biographies. Equally so, it may save readers from buying books about less than interesting people. Those included are Generals Grant, Sherman, and Meade (among others), political cartoonist Thomas Nast, poet Walt Whitman, activist Frederick Douglas, and many, many, more.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a brief overview of the American Civil War, its participants and their lives. Mr. Robertson provides brief summaries of the time frame or the theme (generals, industrialists, aid workers...) and then provides a couple pages per person to review their life, accomplishments during the war and after and information on how they died. It is like an enlarged encyclopedia of American Civil War participants. A great easy read that is very informative.

[Todd Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short biographies of key players during and in the decades immediately following the Civil War. I think one of Robertson’s greatest accomplishments in this work is to trace the rise and proliferation of Southern revisionism in the history of the Civil War. He highlights key contributions and the life histories of individuals who are familiar, but not entirely known. Easy quick read for context of this pivotal period in American history.

[Bud Hewlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a great book and would have gotten a 5 star rating except that the last several chapters didn't seem to be written in Robertson's usual excellent prose. (I almost wonder if he didn't allow a graduate student to help him meet a deadline for the National Geographic Society.)

These 7o brief biographical sketches were informative and quite fascinating.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brief summary of major players in the post war perioid who were "movers and shakers". The bios are superficial and mirror the standard characterizations of most Civil War leaders. I.e. Grant was a drunk and Forrest founded the KKK. Adequate review for those unfamiliar with the Gilded Age personalities.

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuttar ævisögur nokkura tuga bandaríkjamanna sem mótuðu samfélagið í BNA í kjölfar þrælastríðsins. Hér má finna bæði hetjur og skúrka, konur og karla sem höfðu mikil áhrif á samfélagið, efnahaginn og pólitíkina í Norðurríkjunum. Helsti gallinn er að nær eingöngu er fjallað um norðurríkjamenn og þeirra sjónarhorn.

[Tom Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book consists of character sketches/mini-bios of Americans after the Civil War. Each sketch gives a sampling that may or may not lead one to want to read a deeper, more satisfying biography. It may be slightly skewed toward the Confederates. The Yankees seem to get more negative adjectives than the Rebs.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not what I thought it would be as book from this author. I found it to be a bit choppy and not written like the author’s other works. I liked the book, but it really wasn’t what I thought. If you are looking for a book that provides a brief review of the lives of players in the post-civil war era, this will serve as a good primer.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Dr. Robertson was educating me via this book. I learned some very interesting things about folks after the war was over in 1865. Now I will try to read a great number of the books he referenced on the person's I'm most anxious to learn more about.
I highly recommend you read this book.

[Joe Hodes · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting were the minor, relatively unknown characters and how the Civil War influenced the giants of the Gilded Age (Morgan, Carnegie, etc.). Summing up Grant or Lee in 20 pages was hardly worth the reading.

[caleb J. klingler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise follow up of short biographies to many of the known personalities of the American Civil War. Nothing overly complex, but if you wondered what happened to certain generals or politicians after the war, then this is a quick way to get those facts. On the whole a fascinating book.

[Kevin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should have read the reviews before starting this. The book is a hodgepodge of brief biographies of a variety of Confederate and Union participants. There didn’t seem to be any particular order to the contents. I only continued to read it because of my personal fascination with the war.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very informative. If you are interested in how people from the Civil War era, have influenced our way of life now, then this is a must read.