Amazon.com
"After the end of the World War of 1914 there was a deep conviction and almost universal hope that peace would reign in the world. This heart's desire of all the peoples could easily have been gained by steadfastness in righteous convictions, and by reasonable common sense and prudence."
But we all know that's not what happened. As Britain's prime minister for most of the Second World War, Winston Churchill--whose career had to that point already encompassed the roles of military historian and civil servant with a proficiency in both that few others could claim--had a unique perspective on the conflict, and as soon as he left office in 1945, he began to set that perspective down on paper. To measure the importance of The Second World War, it is worth remembering that there are no parallel accounts from either of the other Allied leaders, Roosevelt and Stalin. We have in this multivolume work an account that contains both comprehensive sweep and intimate detail. Almost anybody who compiles a list of such works ranks it highly among the nonfiction books of the 20th century.
In the opening volume, The Gathering Storm, Churchill tracks the erosion of the shaky peace brokered at the end of the First World War, followed by the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis and their gradual spread from beyond Germany's borders to most of the European continent. Churchill foresaw the coming crisis and made his opinion known quite clearly throughout the latter '30s, and this book concludes on a vindicating note, with his appointment in May 1940 as prime minister, after which he recalls that "I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial."
Their Finest Hour concerns itself with 1940. France falls, and England is left to face the German menace alone. Soon London is under siege from the air--and Churchill has a few stories of his own experiences during the Blitz to share--but they persevere to the end of what Churchill calls "the most splendid, as it was the most deadly, year in our long English and British history." They press on in The Grand Alliance, liberating Ethiopia from the Italians and lending support to Greece. Then, when Hitler reneges on his non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union (the very signing of which had proved Stalin and his commissars "the most completely outwitted bunglers of the Second World War"), the Allied team begins to coalesce. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese makes the participation of the United States in the war official, and this is of "the greatest joy" to Churchill: "How long the war would last or in what fashion it would end no man could tell, nor did I at that moment care. Once again in our long island history we should emerge, however mauled or mutilated, safe and victorious."
But as the fourth volume, The Hinge of Fate, reveals, success would not happen overnight. The Japanese military still held strong positions in the Pacific theater, and Rommel's tank corps were on the offensive in Africa. After a string of military defeats, Churchill's opponents in Parliament introduced a motion for a censure vote; this was handily defeated, and victory secured in Africa, then Italy. By this time, Churchill had met separately with both Roosevelt and Stalin; the second half of volume 5, Closing the Ring, brings the three of them together for the first time at the November 1943 conference in Teheran. This book closes on the eve of D-day: "All the ships were at sea. We had the mastery of the oceans and of the air. The Hitler tyranny was doomed."
And so, in the concluding volume, Triumph and Tragedy, the Allies push across Europe and take the fight to Berlin. President Roosevelt's death shortly before final victory against Germany affected Churchill deeply, "as if I had been struck a physical blow," and he would later regret not attending the funeral and meeting Harry Truman then, instead of at the Potsdam conference after Germany's defeat. Churchill himself would not be there for the conclusion to the war against Japan; in July of 1945, a general election in Britain brought in a Labor government (or, as he refers to them, "Socialists"), and he resigned immediately, for "the verdict of the electors had been so overwhelmingly expressed that I did not wish to remain even for an hour responsible for their affairs."
Book Description
Churchill's six-volume history of World War II -- the definitive work, remarkable both for its sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, universally acknowledged as a magnificent historical reconstruction and an enduring work of literature. From Britian's darkest and finest hour to the great alliance and ultimate victory, the Second World War remains the pivotal event in our century. Churchill was not only its greatest leader, but the free world's most eloquent voice of defiance in the face of Nazi tyranny. His epic account of those times, published in six volumes, won the Nobel Prize in 1953.
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-21
This book begins with the phrase "if ever there was a war that could have been prevented it was this one." or something to that effect. This I thought to be rather shocking when one understands that WWII is always held up as the world's most justified war; or the war that had to be fought. Winston goes on through this series of books to point out all the spots and circumstances where the proper world reaction could have prevented World War II.
I am one of those fortunate people who have this entire set in hardback. At one time I had two sets but I gave one to a friend. Admittedly, as Uncle Joe Stalin said, Winston can be a bit of a windbag. There are times where he goes on and on. But if you are a World War II history buff that is exactly what you want.
Winston was not only a politician but an intellectual and an historian. We have no ex-presidents who have ever accomplished anything comparable to this. I don't know of any other country or nation that does either.
If you learn to read Winston's style you will also find quite a bit of information in his historical output that you will have great difficulty finding any where else.
If you love books and history and you're not hurting for money this set is worth the investment. Do yourself a favor.
The Second World War (Six Volume Boxed Set).......2007-03-23
These are good books. Mr. Churchill wrote wonderful.
I marked it 4 stars because of printing quality.This edition has small font and paper is not good enough.
Not really comfortable to read.
I think it is better to buy books off-line ( in store) you may look at it first.
Churchill - brilliant writer and thinker.......2007-01-18
Churchill's excellently written magnum opus on WW2 is definitely worth while reading, and I recommend the box for all who want a detailed and insightful description of one of the most traumatic events in the history of man. His literary style is beautiful, sometimes even poetic and it is a long wonderful journey for the reader. Churchill must have been in his best mood when he wrote it, not least because of the many humourous anecdotes and comments. He is surely an outstanding scholar and for me, being an amateur historian, the books gave me all the necessary background for further explorations in the subjects.
The Second World War by Windston S. Churchill.......2007-01-05
Bought this set for a friend who absolutely thinks it is the best. He has been reading Churchill biographies and now to hear everything from his point of view has been very informative. Recommend this set highly.
A mile-high pile of stinking propaganda...........2006-10-04
...from the incompetent drunkard who destroyed the British Empire. This is a worthless series of phony history, valued only by myopic, hero-worshipping American neocons. Churchill was a prime actor in the events he was describing and as such, wrote a self-justifying history designed to make himself look like Pericles, Jesus and Alexander the Great rolled into one. Objective history is written by objective historians, and Churchill was not one.
Look- Churchill was an amusing alcoholic who made some witty remarks when he was plastered, and the man wasn't without a certain rat-like cunning, especially in the way that he manipulated America into violating its neutrality and skillfully turned world opinion against German "barbarism" (even though it was the British who were the first to bomb German civilians, in the hope that the Germans would retaliate in kind, thereby solidifying British support for an unpopular war.) But to say that Churchill is the apotheosis of political leadership and wisdom is a sad joke. He was a drunkard who sometimes got so pickled that he had to hire an impersonator to deliver some of his most famous speeches over the radio. He was a war criminal whose monomaniacal hatred of Hitler worked against his own people's interests and ended up bankrupting his country, destroying the British Empire and allowing half of Europe to be taken over the Soviets. What a victory! If any business or political leader today says he wants to emulate Churchill, he should be fired or impeached because either Chapter 11 or national ruin is just around the corner. But hey, if you're into long-winded, dishonest self-aggrandizement, then I highly recommend it.
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Encyclopedia of War and American Society (3-Volume Set)
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
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ASIN: 0761930973 |
Book Description
The impact of war on American society has been extensive throughout our nation’s history. War has transformed economic patterns, government policy, public sentiments, social trends and cultural expression.
SAGE Reference is proud to announce the
Encyclopedia of War and American Society. This Encyclopedia is a comprehensive, highly-credentialed multidisciplinary historical work that examines the numerous ways wars affect societies. The three volumes cover a wide range of general thematic categories, issues, and topics that address not only the geopolitical effects of war, but also show how the U.S. engagement in national and international conflicts has affected the social and cultural arena.
Key Features
- Explores and analyzes three types of effects of war—direct effects, interactive relationships, and indirect effects—to illustrate the range of connections between war and American society
- Probes the correlations between our wartime expeditions and the experiences of the greater American society not limited to just the war years but also demonstrates how the wartime event impacted society after the conflicts ended
- Offers readers a host of documents including passages from letters, diaries, autobiographies, official documents, novels, poems, songs, and cartoons, as well as images, graphs, and a number of tables of relevant data, surveys, and public opinion polls to extend their research capabilities
- Concentrates mostly on the last 100 years to give more coverage on this often neglected wartime era
Key Themes
- Arts and Culture
- Civil-Military Relations
- Economy and Labor
- Education (both military and civilian)
- Environment and Health
- Journalism and Media
- Law and Justice
- Military Leaders and Figures
- Planning, Command and Control
- Race, Gender, and Ethnicity
- Religion
- Science and Technology
- Veterans' Issues and Experiences
- The Wars themselves and their civilian and military leaders
The
Encyclopedia of War and American Society is a must-have reference for all academic libraries as well as a welcome addition to any social science reference collection.
Amazon.com
This beautifully written trilogy of books on the American Civil War is not only a piece of first-rate history, but also a marvelous work of literature. Shelby Foote brings a skilled novelist's narrative power to this great epic. Many know Foote for his prominent role as a commentator on Ken Burns's PBS series about the Civil War. These three books, however, are his legacy. His southern sympathies are apparent: the first volume opens by introducing Confederate President Jefferson Davis, rather than Abraham Lincoln. But they hardly get in the way of the great story Foote tells. This hefty three volume set should be on the bookshelf of any Civil War buff. --John Miller
Book Description
Foote's comprehensive history of the Civil War includes three compelling volumes: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Fredericksburg to Meridian, and Red River to Appomattox.
Customer Reviews:
Sad to be done.......2007-09-14
I have just finished the series for the second time. I first read Foote's trilogy about 15 years ago, in my early 20's. I was struck now by how much different the books seemed to me this time through. The first time I never noticed any bias one way or the other. This time, however, it was hard to ignore. The reader will note that the books begin and end with Jefferson Davis. The third book ends with what seems like a biography of Davis post-war. This is fine, but other key players where completely ignored or only mentioned in relation to their deaths.
The books do a fairly good job of describing the key battles of the war. There are so many generals who were involved in this struggle that it is hard for one to keep up with who is whom. Maps are often included to help the reader keep track of what is happening where, both on a battle scale, and on a national scale.
All in all, this is an excellent account of what happened during the Civil War. Both why it happened and how it happened. That it is told from the perspective of an author who is often rooting for southern victory, or howling at northern success is, I guess, inevitable in this case. Shelby Foote wrote a detailed and easy to read account of the Civil War years.
An example of how to write history.......2007-08-16
I am current reading the late Shelby Foote's 2,934-page trilogy. I just completed volume one, The Civil War: A Narrative, Fort Sumter to Perryville". It was 810 pages in the version I have. I started reading the volume on June 6 and completed it on August 15. I expect to complete the other two volumes by year's end.
Here is my review of volume one. The book covers the beginning of the war through December 1862. The late Shelby Foote writes with a down home, comfortable style that is like he is sitting beside you telling a story. Make no mistake, he is a southern and tells the story from a southern point of view. The book is a work of creative non-fiction. It is a first class narrative. It is the example of how to write history.
Many students of the Civil War are limited in their knowledge of the war to the major battles of Fort Sumter, Bull Run, Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Antietam (Sharpsburg), etc. (battles in 1861 -1862) or the generals. Foote covers all the battles. And he covers what takes place in between the battles though with minor battles tend to be brushed over with the simple reference to their being fought.
I admit some parts of the book were a struggle for me to get through. The time between the campaigns and battles, the endless maneuvers and debates were challenging. Once he moved on to the next battle or fight, the action and pace of the book picked up. Foote shared enough strategy and tactics as well as some of the intellectual processes the key players used to help us understand what leadership on both sides will do under such situations. At times it was like reading the strategy behind a chess game. The back stories of the political considerations were actually enjoyable at times and problematic to boring at others.
I recommend this to any American or person with an interest in American history. Yes, the battles may seem to be repetitious. Yes, the politics and maneuvers do at times get somewhat dry. They must be included to tell the entire story. We need know the story well to know who we are as a people.
I wish the editor had placed better divisions in the book. Even knowing the history of the civil war well, I had trouble at times with where we were at what battle. Many of the battles are referred to by their southern name, usually the nearest town e.g. Sharpsburg instead of their northern name e.g., Antietam, usually the nearest body of water.
An Uncivil War.......2007-04-24
This book is a comprehensive well written account of the Civil War. It includes facts not often recounted in similar narratives eg Lincoln's disregard for due process ie the arresting of people sending "suspicious" telegrams etc. Although I am an Australian I find that a study of the American Civil War gives valuable insight into the American mentality. I have not quite finished reading the books yet but so far I have found them fascinating.
..........2007-04-10
Absolutely astounding. I'm trying to finish up the third one and I must say, this entire series is breathtaking. Mr. Foote describes the war in such a poetic manner, I cannot help but think of it everytime I'm not reading it.
There's definately a southern bias, but this doesn't hurt the work at all and it's actually made me respect the North more for not giving up the fight, to reunite the country and defeat a foe that was determined to destroy it.
This series is reccomended alongside "Battle Cry for Freedom." One is not better than the other. They're both great.
Tremendous.......2007-03-20
I can't say enough about these books. Mr. Foote's writing style is warm and smooth, like some nice southern drink.
I didn't feel as though he was so biased towards the Southern perspective, and I'm a Yankee by birth.
I loved the contrast between Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln, and how they each managed the war. I loved the emphasis on military strategy, for example explaining the importance of controlling the Mississippi and the battles that determined the outcome. I loved the portrayals of the generals in the field, and how the related to their men.
It's interesting to see that the board of Random House's Modern Library chose this series as #15 on the list of best non-fiction published in the English language since 1900. [...]
I'd love to read this trilogy again someday, but life is short and there are many responsibilities. I may have to settle for making these the first books I put on my built-in bookcases, when I finally find the time to build them!
Product Description
Three Volume set includes: The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, and Never Call Retreat. A journalist and public official before becoming editor of American Heritage magazine, Bruce Catton won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his Civil War history A Stillness at Appomattox. As for this monumental Civil War trilogy, first published in the 1960s, historian Henry Steel Commager appraised: "better than any other history of our Civil War it combines narrative vigor, literary grace, freshness of view and independence of judgment, and a kind of catholic spirit which embraces the whole vast tumultuous scene." The first volume opens with the Democratic Party's Charleston convention in 1860 and the split that resulted in two Democratic candidates, followed by the Republican Convention and Lincoln's victory. The country first drifted and then was swept into war, even as Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were declaring that a peaceful solution could be found. The second volume shows how the Union and Confederacy slowly reconciled themselves to an all-out war, and how the statures of Lee, Grant, Sherman, Jefferson Davis, and many others emerged. McClellan's character is impaled here in extracts from his arrogant letters. In the final volume, Lincoln remains resolute in the belief that a house divided against itself cannot stand, while Jefferson Davis struggles valiantly for political and economic stability. Catton traces the most bitter years of the war here, from the fighting at Fredericksburg to the surrender at Appomattox and the end of the Confederacy, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Each book includes a section of color maps, and the three volumes are contained in a blue and red box.
Customer Reviews:
Superb history and human portrait.......2007-02-11
An exhaustively researched and deeply engrossing narrative, Catton not only tells us *what* happened, but breathes life into the people living in the crucible of the Civil War. What the war meant to the people who lived it and afterwards forms a valuable part of the narrative. Attention is given to attitudes of a vanished generation that people of Catton's age still knew at first and second-hand; such context forms a key part in understanding the war's impact on people at the time and its subsequent place in the American psyche. As the war recedes further into "history", the more important it becomes to see the humans swept up in it. This Catton does, with a deft literary skill that sweeps the reader along just as thoroughly.
The whole series is an independent work, but it does gain a synergistic benefit from reading his other works such as "This Hallowed Ground" (still the best single volume on the war in my opinion) and the Army of the Potomac trilogy. If the War interests you, its Centenniel History is an indispensible read.
Rediscover a Great Historian.......2006-07-19
For those of us whose interest in the Civil War was ignited by the Ken Burns documentary, most naturally gravitated to Shelby Foote's wonderful 3 part Narrative History of the Civil War. Foote's masterpiece will always be at or near the top of anyone's list of great Civil War reading, but for some wanting a different approach, and looking for a slightly shorter and more accessible format, look no further than these three splendid paperback books from Bruce Catton.
While Foote's 3 part history takes approximately 3,000 pages to provide a detailed glimpse of all the major players and battles, Catton here tells the story in 3 books of about 450 pages each. Sacrifices are made, of course, and in some instances you are left wanting a little more detail, but overall Catton tells the story lyrically and with a great knack for tying up loose ends. His themes and arguments always make perfect sense, and while the writing is not as chock-full of historical detail as someone like James MacPherson, you won't feel as if you are reading a watered-down version of the conflict.
Catton begins the first volume, The Coming Fury, with a fascinating look at the 1860 presidential election, with its two Democratic nominees (Stephen Dougles and John Breckenridge) hopelessly splitting the party and eliminating any chance of defeating Lincoln, the nominee of the new Republican party. Catton spends a great deal of time on the splintering of the Democrats, the various conventions preceding the 1860 election, and the fevered calls for war emanating from the South as opposition to the Fugitive Slave law and expansion of the country called into question the slavery issue, and the extent to which slavery would be permitted in new territories and states. The first book then proceeds to a very detailed account of the Charleston/Fort Sumter mess, and concludes with the First Bull Run.
The pacing of the books was a bit odd, since the first 300 or so pages was so full of detail, you come to expect a much longer work, and a more thorough description of some key battles like Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. My only complaint here is that after spending so many pages on the political upheaval and precursors to war, I sometimes felt that not enough time was spent on several of the major campaigns and battles of the war. However most readers have plenty at their disposal if they want to dwell upon any specific campaign, such as MacPherson's excellent "Crossroads of Freedom" book about Antietam. Catton does cover every significant engagement, and does a great job of keeping his narrative and thematic focus intact while shifting to the battles in Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. The author always discussed the choices and problems presented to the military and political leaders at each step of the struggle, and has a master's touch of fitting each battle into the context of the global struggle.
The final book in the trilogy, Never Call Retreat, was my favorite of the three. Catton does a wonderful job exploring the psyche of the South after some crushing defeats, and their desperate hope of Lincoln losing reelection to McClellan in 1864, followed by their slimmer hope of taking the battle back to Northern soil in the hopes that enough of the nation would simply tire of the war after 3-4 years of bloodshed. The logistical problems facing Robert Lee at the end as he moved his army around Virginia, desperately trying to feed the men, was unforgettable. Catton's last chapter, discussing the symmetry of how the story of the Civil War began and ended with sensational acts of madmen (John Brown and John Wilkes Booth) was a moving and effective coda. I put down the last volume very glad that I picked up this set, I think reading these books is time very well-spent for casual fans of history and true Civil War buffs alike.
Insightful, poetic, humorous and valid overview of the Civil War........2006-06-15
It is curious that Bruce Catton is in many ways today regarded as a forgotten historian. The author of a series of powerful narratives on not only the Civil War but the legends of that conflict, in particular Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, Catton in the 1950s and 60s really brought this country's most tragic war home to a new generation of Americans.
The series that begins with "The Coming Fury," originally published in 1961, and ends with "Never Call Retreat" in 1965, was an elegantly written exploration of all aspects of the war, not just its many and complex military engagements, but the social, economic and political ramifications of what some die-hards still call the War Between the States.
"Mr. Yancey could usually be found at the Charleston Hotel, where the anti-Douglas forces were gathering, and a Northerner who went around to have a look at him reported that he was unexpectedly quiet and mild-mannered, as bland and as smooth as Fernando Wood, the silky Democratic boss from New York City, but radiating a general air of sincerity that Wood never had," Catton begins in the opening paragraph of the first book.
Silky indeed.
For some reason recent Civil War scholars have tended to rely much more frequently on Allen Nevins' ponderous "Ordeal of the Union" series, which also was hailed as a major work revealing the wonders of the era to the post-World War II generation. But Nevins' work is full of errors, he cites footnotes for sources that are nonexistent, and litters his manuscript with endless potshots at people he thinks we should not like: Franklin Pierce is a "charming, pliable, vacillating executive," James Buchanan was controlled by a "timidity, pliability and self-seeking in his character,"; Stephen Douglas "suffered from his head-long impetuosity."
Almost anyone from the South, or more accurately, someone who is not a Radical Republican, suffers greatly in Nevins' series. The author, a New Yorker, writing more than 80 years after the conclusion of the Civil War, was a sore winner, demonstrating a repeated need to point out the moral superiority of the North and the depravity of the Confederacy.
Is that really the historian's purpose?
As a source that is much better written, less self-conscious, and more objective, I recommend the Catton books, a stellar reminder of why good history well-written is so much fun.
Classic.......2005-09-06
This is a classic set of books that all civil war buffs should have. The set provides a great background to the war. The writing is detailed and informative without being so detailed to bury the read.
The Centennial History of the Civil War.......2005-06-11
Phoenix Press has done the reader a great service by issuing this attractive and inexpensive boxed paperback edition of Bruce Catton's classic three volume history of the Civil War.
Begun in 1958 and released between 1961 and 1965, the three books, THE COMING FURY, TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD and NEVER CALL RETREAT take the reader from the fractured Democratic Convention of 1860 to the assassination of President Lincoln.
Catton's books are unique for their almost lyrical readability. Catton's knowledge of his subject is exhaustive and his writing style is passionate. Drawing the reader along, Catton makes it possible to finish the three thick books in virtually three sittings.
Catton's thesis is that the South began the war at a decided material disadvantage and he demonstrates how, even as early as First Manassas, the die was cast for a probable Confederate defeat, tempered only by the Union's initial unwillingness to see the war for what it was, a shattering epochal contest.
The South's uncertain sense of nationhood is illuminated in its adoption of national symbols: At the Montgomery Convention, several delegates wanted to name the Confederacy the "United States of America"; Confederate generals squabbled over rank based on their West Point (i.e., Union) rankings; the South's national holiday was Washington's Birthday, it was established on Jeffersonian principles, and its Stars and Bars was confusingly similar to the Stars and Stripes, so much so as to lead to tragedies in battle. Imagine George Washington dedicating the American Revolution to Queen Elizabeth the First as a counterpoint.
Against this, Catton posits the unsure steps of the North, at first all but willing to let the "wayward sisters depart in peace," then battling the "armed combinations," then fighting for Union; and finally, dedicating the war to ensuring that "government of the people, by the people shall not vanish from the earth."
Thanks to Catton, THE CIVIL WAR becomes a living, breathing and evolving experience, not just a history.
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The Greenwood Library of American War Reporting (8 Volume Set)
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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ASIN: 0313334358 |
Book Description
The Greenwood Library of American War Reporting Volume 1: The French and Indian War; The Revolutionary War Volume 2: The War of 1812; The Mexican-American War Volume 3: The Civil War North; The Civil War South Volume 4: The Indian Wars; The Spanish-American War Volume 5: World War I; World War II, The European Theater Volume 6: World War II, The Asian Theater; The Korean War Volume 7: The Vietnam War; Post-Vietnam Conflicts Volume 8: The Iraq Wars and the War on Terror & Index The Greenwood Library of American War Reporting presents a unique and unfiltered presentation of American History from colonial days to the present through annotated primary documents of journalists and reporters writing as events occured. The definitive reference source on culture and history during wartime America's conflicts, each volume collects key news reports on battles, politics, the home front, peace talks, massacres, and much more. Substantial context-setting overviews introduce every volume, topical chapter, and unabridged primary source. Over 2,500 annotated news reports - newspaper and magazine articles, and radio and television transcripts - and 400 drawings and photos cover every major and most minor conflicts over the past 250 years, from the French & Indian Wars to the War on Terror. Read history as it was being made in these immediate, raw, and often confused reports about life-and-death struggles on the front lines and the critical activities on the home front. Features: BLPulitzer Prize-Winning Articles and Photos BLAll Articles are annotated BLReader's Guide to Documents BLIntroductory Essays BL2,500 Primary Documents BL400 Images BLThematic Indices Topics to explore using the set include: BLAfrican Americans and war BLNative Americans and war BLWomen and War BLChildren and War BLDaily life and the home front BLRacism and Race Relations BLEconomics and war BLMassacres adn Atrocities BLBattles at Sea BLAir Battles BLLand Campaigns BLInvasions BLMilitary Leaders BLPolitical Leaders BLEspionage BLAnti-war protests BLCensorship BLPropaganda BLPeace Treaties adn Armistices BLPacifism BLConcentration Camps BLThe Atom Bomb BLCivilian Casualties BLTerrorism BLPrisoners of War BLPresidential Politics Includes Pieces Written or Presented by well-known figures such as: BLErnie Pyle BLStephen Crane BLErnest Hemingway BLMarguerite Higgins BLGeorge Padmore BLEdward R. Murrow BLMargaret Bourke-White BLJohn Hersey BLJohn Brown BLWilliam Lloyd Garrison BLWilliam Harding BLWalter Cronkite BLPeter Arnett BLDavid Halberstam BLMorley Safer BLMichael Herr BLSeymour M. Hersh BLRobert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer BLBob Woodward BLRandall Pinkston BLJudy Woodruff BLPeggy Durdin BLJohn Paul Vann BLBernard Shaw BLLarry King BLDan Rather BLWilliam Safire BLKatie Couric Sample of Where Work was Originally Published in or Presented: BLChicago Defender BLSaturday Evening Post BLStars & Stripes BLNew York Times BLWashington Post BLSan Francisco Chronicle BLLife BLCleveland Plain Dealer BLNew York World BLChicago Daily News BLWall Street Journal BLTime BLBoston Globe BLChristian Science Moniter BLAtlanta Journal and Constitution BLSt. Paul Pioneer Press BLCNN BLKentucky Journal BLBaltimore Sun BLHartford Daily Current BLCharleston Mercury BLSavannah Republican BLNewsweek BLRamparts BLThe New Republic BLThe New Yorker BLCBS Evening News BLHarper's BLLos Angeles Times BLThe Associated Press BLThe MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour BLNational Intelligencer BLAlbany Gazette BLThe Liberator BLNightline BLABC World News Now BLNPR: All Things Considered BLFairness & Accuracy in Reporting Highlights: BLGeorge Washington's 1754 Expedition to the Ohio Valley BLThe Fall of Fort Duquesne, 1758 BLThe Fall of Quebec BLThe Boston Tea Party BLThe Declaration of Independence BLThe Battle of Yorktown BLTecumseh, the Prophet, and Native Americans BLBurning of Washington BLBattle of New Orleans BLThe Alamo and Texas Revolution BLManifest Destiny BLThe Wilmot Proviso BLSouthern Cessation from the Union BLThe Emancipation Proclamation BLThe Battle of Shiloh BLThe Battle of Gettysburg BLSherman's March to the Sea BLAppomattox Courtyard BLThe Modoc War BLThe Battle of Little Bighorn BLWounded Knee BLThe Destruction of the Maine BLYellow Journalism and the Spanish-American War BLThe Philippines Insurrection BLSinking of the Lusitania BLThe Zimmermann Telegram BLWoodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points BLBlack United States Servicemen in England BLD-Day and Its Immediate Aftermath BLFreeing the German Concentration Camp Prisoners BLThe Attack on Pearl Harbor BLInvasion of Okinawa BLDropping the Atom Bomb on Nagasaki BLTurnabout at Inchon BLTruman versus MacArthur BLBlack Soldiers and the Women of the Korean War BLTet Offensive BLSiege of Khesanh BLMylai Massacre BLClan Wars in Somalia, 1992-1993 BLWar in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1992-1997 BLSeptember 11 Attacks BLThe PATRIOT Act BLHomeland Security BLAbu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse
Book Description
On Nov. 28, 1858, a ship called the Wanderer slipped silently into a coastal channel and unloaded its cargo of over 400 African slaves onto Jekyll Island, Georgia, thirty eight years after the African slave trade had been made illegal. It was the last ship ever to bring a cargo of African slaves to American soil.
Built in 1856, the Wanderer began life as a luxury racing yacht, flying the pennant of the New York Yacht Club and cited as the successor to the famous yacht America. But within a year of its creation, the Wanderer was secretly converted into a slave ship, and, with the New York Yacht Club pennant still flying above as a diversion, sailed off to Africa. The Wanderer’s mission was meant to be more than a slaving venture, however. It was designed by its radical conspirators to defy the federal government and speed the nation’s descent into civil war.
The New York Times first reported the story as a hoax; however, as groups of Africans began to appear in the small towns surrounding Savannah, the story of the Wanderer began to leak out; igniting a fire of protest and debate that made headlines throughout the nation and across the Atlantic.
As the story shifts between Savannah, Jekyll Island, the Congo River, London, and New York City, the Wanderer's tale is played out in heated Southern courtrooms, the offices of the New York Times, The White House, the slave markets of Africa and some of the most charming homes Southern royalty had to offer. In a gripping account of the high seas and the high life in New York and Savannah, Erik Calonius brings to light one of the most important and little remembered stories of the Civil War period.
Customer Reviews:
The Wanderer Hits Home .......2007-07-06
In the book The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy That Set Its Sails, one is first given a fine portrait of the genteel life of some of the South's more prosperous families. But that picture becomes clouded when business man Charles Lamar of Savannah, Georgia decides to import African slaves long after the trade has been made illegal in the fledgling United States. What ensues are lives turned upside down, deals gone awry, travesties of justice and the underpinnings of secession on the eve of the Civil War.
Erik Calonius has done his homework, quoting from articles from papers on both sides of the Mason Dixon line, as well as providing references to source documents regarding the ship building business of that time, agreements between the United States and Great Britain to patrol the high seas for human contraband and myriad other accounts of the politics of the day. This story has so many twists and turns that no writer of historical fiction could have bested it. But the sad truth is that it is not fiction. In fact this episode has probably not been presented in the average high school history class. I would hope that producers for the History or Discovery channels would bring it out as a documentary film in order to allow access to it in the popular media.
One side effect to reading this book is that I was taken to look back in my own genealogy when I found that one of the key players shared my surname. To my surprise, for better or for worse, I found that I indeed share ancestry with that individual.
A pleasant and heartwarming epilogue does await in the end when one finds oneself asking throughout the book, "Whatever happened to the Africans that were brought in illegally?" But don't skip to the end - you'll want to absorb every detail of this rich story, replete with colorful personalities, action and suspense. Truth is stranger than fiction.
Thw Waderer's Magic.......2007-05-30
Eric Calonius has obviously done an immense amount of research and transformed it into a beautiful work of art. It is a very entertaining and INFORMATIVE novel. If history repeats itself, one can and should learn from his mistakes. This should be required reading for all poiticians!
Harold Markovitz
Very interesting tale--but not the last American slave ship.......2007-05-15
I enjoyed the book and am glad the author took the time to write the story down. It is worth reading.
Perhaps the author would consider writing about the schooner Clotilda which arrived in Mobile in 1860 with 110--116 captured Africans. The story is known locally so Mr. Calonius would not really have known about the Clotilda. The whole sorid affair was undertaken on a drinking bet. After the War, the former captives settled north of Mobile and named the area Africatown (Prichard, Alabama).
Why Have I Never Heard This Before?.......2007-03-08
Fascinating.
Some reactions from our book club: "How come I've never heard any of this before?" "Hmmm, looking back at this story helps me see just how bullying today can lead us astray on every level", and "...those Fire Eaters and the lives that were lost by so many who didn't understand the economic scheming that really got that war going."
The club is planning a trip to Savannah but the scenes painted by Eric Calonius are vivid enough without the tour.
A most readable, enjoyable and important book. We would recommend it to any book club ... it kept us reading and stimulated rich discussions.
Excellent insight into the causes of the Civil War.......2007-02-06
Let me begin by saying that this is not a book that I would normally have any interest in reading. As a general rule, the topic of slavery is of almost no interest to me, and I tend to avoid the subject due to lack of interest. However, this particular book sounded like it might be interesting, so I decided to read it.
Erik Calonius is a career journalist who has had some plum assignments in his journalistic career. The Wanderer is his first book, and he should be very proud of it. The topic got his interest on a visit to Jekyll Island, outside Savannah, Georgia, when he saw an exhibit to the Wanderer. Intrigued, he started looking into it, and decided to tackle a modern telling of the story.
The slave trade was made illegal in the United States in 1820. However, some of the Southern firebrands who were pushing for secession also strongly favored reinstating the slave trade. Charles Lamar, a relative of L.Q.C. Lamar and of the second president of the Texas Republic, led the conspiracy. Lamar and his co-conspirators purchased the Wanderer, a magnificent yacht, and took her to Africa to bring back a load of slaves in 1858. His crew managed to evade the British and American naval vessels patrolling the coast of Africa and safely made it back to the United States.
Even though their purpose was a very poorly kept secret, Lamar and his co-conspirators managed to evade justice through a combination of corruption and bullying. They made witnesses disappear, tampered with evidence, and made it impossible for the government to convict them of piracy (the crime of importing slaves was designated an act of piracy, and carried the death penalty). In three separate trials in 1859, Lamar and his co-conspirators were all acquitted and escaped justice, in spite of the best efforts of the Buchanan administration to convict and execute them.
There was poetic justice: Lamar was killed in action during the Civil War, and the Wanderer, which was seized and sold by the government, ended up in Union service during the war.
The book is well-researched and very well-written, which I would expect of a senior journalist of Mr. Calonius' credentials. He has brought a topic which would normally not interest me to life with an engaging writing style that almost reads like a novel. The book does have one of my pet peeves: instead of providing specific end note references, they're lumped together at the end by page, which drives me crazy. If one were interested in further research, or reading the primary sources for oneself, this style of footnoting makes it virtually impossible to do so. I absolutely despise that footnoting style. I suspect that was the publisher's call-and not Mr. Calonius'-so I can't necessarily fault him for it.
What I liked best about this book was how it so accurately and amply used the microcosm of this single incident to demonstrate how the agenda of the fire eaters directly caused the Civil War, and how they paid the ultimate price for their calumny. It also demonstrates how the inertia and passivity of the Buchanan administration allowed events to come to a crisis situation. The inactivity of the administration permitted a few fire breathers to flaunt the law for their own purposes, and their actions in doing so directly triggered the Civil War. Ironically, the prosecution of Lamar and his co-conspirators was left in the hands of Buchanan's attorney general, Thomas Howell Cobb of Georgia, who later became a Confederate general.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and can highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the causes of the Civil War.
Average customer rating:
- Medal of Honor Winners
- Excellent compilation.
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Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-1994: 2 Volume Set
LANG
Manufacturer: FACTS ON FILE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0816032599 |
Customer Reviews:
Medal of Honor Winners.......2007-09-16
This set of two books lists the written commendation from the commander in the field for each man earning the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to 1994.
This sounds pretty dull, perhaps, but try reading several of these without feeling your heart pound. We've had some awesome heroes in America and will have many more. These brief stories of some of them are absolutely incredible.
Excellent compilation........1997-06-23
All 3397 Medal of Honor recipients are listed, from
the Civil War to Somalia, with all essential
information given: name, both true and assumed, rank,
service and unit, dates of birth and death, place of death
and cemetary, date and place of action, and more.
Attractively presented in large format, in two
volumes, with appendices, bibliography, and index,
this is the essential reference for
anyone interested in the Medal of Honor or American military
history. Illustrations of the medals themselves
are not provided, the only fault noted.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting
within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not
employ numerical ratings.)
Average customer rating:
- A Monumental Piece of Work
- Cant live without this book!
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Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (3 Volume Set)
Anthony J. Mireles
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0786421061 |
Product Description
During World War II, the air over the continental United States was a virtual third front. The little-known statistics are alarming: the Army Air Forces lost more than 4,500 aircraft in combat against Japanese army and naval air forces in the war. During the same time, the AAF lost more than 7,100 aircraft in the United States to accidents in training and transportation. Such accidents claimed the lives of more than 15,530 pilots, crewmembers and ground personnel, and the stories of their deaths are largely forgotten. This work chronicles the 6,350 known fatal AAF aircraft accidents that occurred in the continental United States from January 1941 through December 1945. Each crash summary, based on official records, provides details such as crash location and cause, the people involved and the type and number of aircraft. An aircraft serial number index, a record of AAF aircraft still listed as missing, crash statistics and a directory of AAF stations in the United States are included. This book is published as a set of three volumes. Replacement volumes can be obtained individually under ISBN 0-7864-2788-4 (for Volume 1), ISBN 0-7864-2789-2 (for Volume 2) and ISBN 0-7864-2790-6 (for Volume 3).
Customer Reviews:
A Monumental Piece of Work.......2006-10-22
I was told by the author several years ago to expect this book. After many delays it is finally available and I might add, worth the wait. My comments are not meant to be cliche. This is one monumental three volume work whose meticulous research was the reason for its delay in being published.
Thousands of military aircraft were lost within the United States during WWII by all three services plus the Coast Guard. Many of us in the search and rescue business have seen the numerous wrecks that are scattered throughout the West as we go about our business looking for other missing aircraft. Like the author, I always wondered about the circumstances of these crashes which, by the 1970s, were long forgotten to history except by those few who remembered them.
Accident reports filed by the military services detail these incidents and their causes. But these reports are available only to the few of us who specialize in researching crash sites or who can afford to buy them. The author has taken these thousands of accident reports from the WWII US Army Air Forces, identified the 6,300 or so fatal ones, and have summarized them into this three volume set. Reading them is fascinating. Some examples include:
- The young navigator who disappeared from a B-24 while on a night, over water navigation training mission. Last seen headed for the rear of the aircraft, there is no evidence that he jumped since none of the aircraft's hatches or exits were opened during the flight. He simply vanished.
- The tragic accident in 1943 involving the CG-4 Glider which crashed during a demonstration flight due to structural failure. Among those killed was the Mayor of St Louis, MO, his city comptroller, the local Chamber of Commerce President as well as the two man crew and the officer in charge of the Army's Glider Procurement Program. The investigation found that the company who produced the glider did not follow the aircraft specifications which resulted in a wing strut to fail. The tragic irony, is that both the President and Vice President of the company who made the glider were also killed in the same crash.
- The numerous aicraft that were not found until many years after the war. They include the missing P-40 in California in 1941 that was not found until 1959, the two B-24s that disappeared over California the same night in 1943 and were not found until 1955 and 1960. The UC-78 that vanished in Arizona and not found until 1974. The most recent find is the P-38 lost in 1942 and not found until Sep 1997 in Washington State. At the back of Volume III is a list of about 75 USAAF aircraft that have still not been found.
- While many of the accidents were the result of the realistic training necessary to prepare aircrews for combat, some of incidents epitomize what the author calls the senseless carelessness that also kill people when you're training for war. The numerous unauthorized "dogfights" that ended in tragedy, the numerous crewmen who simply walked into moving propellors, the fatal misjudgements about weather, aircraft performance and navigation that pilots make even to this day.
Aside from sifting through all the reports, the author attempted to run down resolution of the numerous missing aircraft that were not found until well after the war ended. The USAAF attempted to up date or complete their accident reports as new leads came in or when planes were finally found. However, it seems that when the U.S. Air Force came into existance in 1947, these updates stopped. As much as possible, the author provides closure information on the aircraft found well after the war ended.
I now have a fuller understanding for the older military pilots I flew SAR with back in the 1970s. It seemed to me that they understood the concept of "safety" as just another word. That was because they grew up in an air force where pilots and aircraft were expendable and accidents were the "cost" of the dangerous business of flying.
One thing this book does not do is that it does not give you Lat/Long locations for these crash sites. It does not provide a current status of the crash site. He does not list the incidents by the original accident report numbers, but by his own tracking system as explained in Volume I. Neither does it list any fatal crashes for the other services unless it involved a USAAF aircraft. In addition, it only covers fatal accidents within the Continental U.S. It does not cover accidents in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico nor the rest of the Americas, such as Canada, Mexico and Latin America.
I forwarned the author that despite his intense research, he must be prepared for corrections and additional information. He has already made provisions for this on his website as listed in Volume I.
For the historian of WWII aviation as well as those of us who are serious in researching military crash sites, this book is a must for your library. Despite it's high price, this well researched and well written book stands heads and shoulders above similar books and is a must have. My hope now is that the author will now turn his attention to fatal aircraft accidents for the other services. And maybe one for all the non-fatal USAAF accidents. In whatever he decides to do, if he maintains the same high standard of research and accuracy he will produce another must have book.
Cant live without this book!.......2006-05-25
Anthony Mireles has somehow managed to compile a monumental amount of very valuable information into a well-laid out and easily accessible format. Besides the date, location, and type of aircraft lost, many entries include notes of interest. The author uses an abbreviated but comprehensive writing style to describe how each loss occurred. The names of aircrew are listed in the mishap summary as well as an invaluable index.
The appendices alone are exemplary and very helpful. In fact, I have never seen a more complete listing of continental USAAF airfields anywhere.
The blood and sweat Mireles must've put into this staggering project is difficult to imagine. Going through 6,000+ accident reports on 16mm microfilm reels, indexing them, and then summarizing what can often be dozens of pages of bureaucratic rambling causation descriptions. Amazing!
There is even a list of all of the Still Missing Army aircraft from the war years. I had no idea there were so many.
This is a superlative reference work for aviation enthusiasts and historians, a must have. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 is a valuable asset for anyone researching WWII aviation, specific aircraft types, or the fate of servicemen and their airplanes. I salute Anthony Mireles and his publisher for pursuing such an enormous task. This will be a classic WWII reference in every aerophile's library.
Book Description
In the decade before the Civil War, the historic Massachusetts town of Concord was a center of abolitionist sentiment and activism. To Set This World Right is the first book to recover and examine the voices, events, and influence of the antebellum antislavery movement in Concord. In addressing fundamental questions about the origin and nature of radical abolitionism in this most American of towns, Sandra Harbert Petrulionis frames the antislavery ideology of Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson-two of Concord's most famous residents-as a product of family and community activism, and she presents the civic context in which their outspoken abolitionism evolved.
In Concord, radical abolitionism crossed racial, class, and gender lines as a confederation of neighbors fomented a radical consciousness, and Petrulionis documents how the Thoreaus, Emersons, and Alcotts worked in tandem with others in their community, including a slaveowner's daughter and a former slave. Petrulionis additionally examines the basis on which Henry Thoreau-who cherished nothing more than solitary tramps through his beloved woods and bogs-has achieved lasting fame as a militant abolitionist.
This book marshals rich archival evidence of the diverse tactics exploited by a small coterie of committed activists, largely women, who provoked their famous neighbors to action. In Concord, the fugitive slave Shadrach Minkins was clothed and fed as he made his way to freedom. In Concord, the adolescent daughters of John Brown attended school and recovered from their emotional distress after their father's notorious public hanging. Although most residents of the town maintained a practiced detachment from the plight of the enslaved, women and men whose sole objective was the moral urgency of abolishing slavery at last prevailed on the philosophers of self-culture to accept the responsibility of their reputations.
Customer Reviews:
Voices United.......2007-09-17
The Alcott, Emerson, Thoreau families along with Abolitionist John Brown were among the most prominent in Concord, Massachussets. The women of each of these families were equally supportive of Anti-Slave rights and worked diligently for social reforms.
Emerson's grandfather, the Lord of the Manse by the North Bridge was a Tory/Loyalist (supporter of the Crown) whereas his son and daughter-in-law were Patriots who chafed at British Rule. They have been called a house divided because of their differing political viewpoints.
Ann Bigelow, Mary Rice and Prudence Ward worked tirelessly to end slavery. These women were pioneers in championing equality and social reforms. They formed fora where people were free to speak against slavery and encouraged many to see the evils of this institution. In time, their efforts would influence such noted thinkers as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Those who were opposed to their efforts felt threatened; they felt that abolishing slavery would weaken their economic foothold and by eliminating an underclass, chaos would ensue.
And chaos did ensue in the form of civil war as well as antebellum uprisings. In 1856 Senator Sumner was beaten viciously for his anti-slavery stand; others were run out of their respective towns and division harmed communities. Preston Brooks, the man who beat Senator Sumner led such a vicious attack that Sumner was never able to walk unaided afterward.
Concord became known as a town of unrest; after the 1775 battle/massacre on the North Bridge and the later rise in anti-slavery movement, many Concordians were driven from southern states. The Northerners coming to Kansas to keep it from becoming a slave state helped Kansas earn its sobriquet, "Bleeding Kansas." The intensity of the change in political climate had reached a white hot level; Concord's influence had spread far and wide. The climate of the events has the feel of the Deep South until 1964, when President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. Although many reforms have taken place, thanks to these pioneers and President Johnson's tireless efforts in more recent history on behalf of equality, there has yet to be a cure for bigotry and bias of any kind, including sexism. The women featured in this book and documented in American and Concord history deserve their place in the sun. They were among many who helped get the ball rolling in the direction of equality and our collective hats are off to them.
One can draw parallels to Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lech Walesa. Thoreau wrote "Civil Disobedience" after he served a night in jail for taking a stand with John Brown against slavery. King was jailed and in the 1980s, Polish Reformer and later Leader of Solidarity, Lech Walensa served time.
Walesa, an affable, humble man helped set the ball rolling in Poland. Concord could have been Poland; slavery could have been a political underclass as was in Poland prior to the Solidarity Movement. A progressive, realistic thinker, Walesa, a shipyard worker took social reforms in baby steps: he helped unionize dock workers so they could have a voice; he took that same approach to the factories and the mills. The winds of change had hit Poland and many Polish citizens were reading underground newspapers about Solidarity and what it had to offer and how they, too could help make things happen. It was the pre-1964 Deep South and the Underground Railroad all over again. People met secretly in church basements and other places that afforded them protection; Lech Walesa pounded the drum publicly on behalf of his fellow citizens.
1865 - Formal end of slavery.
1866 - Juneteenth, the end of slavery in Texas
1964 - Civil Rights Act
1989 - The Fall of the Communist Bloc
*June 4, 1989 - the victory of Lech Walesa and the Solidarity Candidates
*Fall of 1989 - other Eastern European countries followed suit. Like dominoes, when one iron curtain fell, so did others.
Lech Walesa was a voice who, like the Lanterns of Liberty in Massachusetts and the Freedom Bell shone like a beacon and sounded a clarion call for Social Reform. Others joined voices with Walesa and many who shared his ideals. You can see the far reaching effects of the efforts of the good citizens of Concord continues to have on this world today.
The history of Concord was the starting point in this series of related world events. Concord really is the Cradle of U.S. History.
How the women of Concord furthered the Antislavery movement ..........2007-07-08
...might be a more appropriate subtitle for this book. After all, it was Concordian Mary Merrick Brooks who lamented in 1843, "I don't know what is to set this world right it is so awfully wrong every where." And her abolitionist efforts, along with those of Prudence Ward, Ann Bigelow, Mary Rice, and all of the Alcott, Thoreau, and Emerson women, were what put Concord, Massachusetts, on the map as far as antislavery work went.
It began as early as 30 years before the Southern states seceded and Fort Sumter was fired upon. Women found ways of making their voices heard in spite of being unable to officially register them in ballot boxes. Sure, it was William Lloyd Garrison who began to issue the Liberator newspaper in 1831, and he was generally considered the leader of the antislavery movement; but his most active foot soldiers in that battle were the women of the cities and towns of the North. They were the ones who formed local antislavery societies, organized fairs and invited speakers and held "indignation meetings." As a general rule, the Concord men (like Henry Thoreau and Waldo Emerson) took a bit longer to jump on the bandwagon. And most northerners began to take personal interest only when one of their own was threatened: when Concord natives Samuel and Elizabeth Hoar were run out of Charleston, S.C., in 1844, for example; or when Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner was physically beaten at his desk by South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks in 1856. Widely reported in the newspapers, incidents such as these only escalated the emotions of residents of states located above the Mason-Dixon line. Each incident drew more supporters to the cause to end the ill that fueled the fire: the continued slavery of blacks brought from Africa.
It's all here. Women and men both did what they could to think nationally but act locally. Locals helped former slaves use the Underground Railroad to get to Canada. They reacted violently to the implications of the Fugitive Slave Law, requiring Northerners to turn over escapees from the "peculiar institution" to their owners or agents who followed them north. The Kansas Nebraska Act, which allowed those states to become slave-holding states if their residents wanted them to be that way, was another cause for indignation. The resulting formation of the Emigrant Aid Society sent Northerners into Kansas so that it wouldn't become a slave state. And everything seemed to climax with the efforts of John Brown, his New England supporters who supplied him with money and ammunition, and the failed mission he initiated at Harpers Ferry in 1859. National events that we learned about in history class were felt keenly and intimately by the people living in small towns. Concord was just one of them and is shown to live up to its own "revolutionary" standards in the antislavery fray.
Key here are Henry David Thoreau's own reactions to the events. Retold, and logically linked to those events, are stories known well by Thoreauvians and by students of basic American literature courses: Henry's two year departure to Walden Pond; his one night in jail that resulted in the essay known as "Civil Disobedience," and of course his overwhelming support of John Brown and to the possibilities that make violent acts necessary. Even Henry's fans may learn a thing or two among these pages, once his actions are placed in the context of what his other townsmen and women were doing. Too often we study him as though he lived in a vacuum, and that he was the only one who thought a particular thought or did a particular deed. It is valuable indeed to see the whole picture of that turbulent time.
When Petrulionis found no cohesive account of abolitionist activity by the people of Concord and their Transcendentalist friends, she aptly researched the topic and condensed it into this succinct volume. With academic veracity but general readership appeal, TO SET THIS WORLD RIGHT offers insight into the daily lives of people we thought we knew. Those of us entranced with the lives of the Transcendentalists take from these words a sobering realization: that these folks of the mid-1800s dealt with more personal tension, were more involved with the true democratic process, and more often protested government-sponsored outrages than we do today (even living with an unpopular war and an even more unpopular president). We could learn much from the people of our past, especially the women. Maybe we should be holding some "indignation meetings" of our own these days.
Book Description
The American Civil War remains the country's national epic, having changed the fledgling "Union" into the "United States." The scars of that devastating internecine conflict have long since disappeared, but there remains a seemingly insatiable desire to learn more of the circumstances and the detail of the war. This beautifully illustrated book provides that detail, particularly in regard to the tactical deployment of forces in the field and the fighting methods employed by the infantry, artillery, and cavalry forces.
CIVIL WAR WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT follows a soldier, gunner, and cavalryman from their enlistment to their eventual deployment in the field. When war broke out, some men had already served with volunteer units; some were just ill-prepared youths. At first, many officers and men were bewildered by their drills. They were also unfamiliar with their new weapons. By the end of the war, however, many had become highly experienced soldiers with an expert knowledge of field craft, tactics, and weaponry.
Each chapter chronicles this development and the impact it had on the three million men who went to war from 1861 to 1865. CIVIL WAR WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT also includes features on the weapons of the war, from the infantryman's simple rifle and bayonet through a variety of officer's swords, sabers, pistols, and revolvers, to the mighty artillery pieces.
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