The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders ReviewTHE ESSENTIAL CIVIL WAR: A HANDBOOK TO THE BATTLES, ARMIES, NAVIES, AND COMMANDERS
JAYNE E. BLAIR
MCFARLAND, 2006
QUALITY SOFTCOVER, $35.00, 320 PAGES, CHARTS, GLOSSARY, APPENDICES, NOTES, INDEX, BIBLIOGRAPHYInterest in The War Between the States has ebbed and flowed ever since the old veterans began passing away. The first great outpouring of attention in the 20th Century was driven by the great creativity of a wave of Southern writers like William Faulkner and Robert Penn Warren. These authors were part of the last generation who were able to see an old Rebel veteran in person and experience life in a rural-based economy, yet they also were the first to witness the beginnings of a large-scale commercial growth in the South. It was this dichotomy that spurred their exploration into the meaning of the war and its impact on American culture.
The next great wave of interest occurred during The War Between the States Centennial in 1961-1965. Much like the celebration of the American Bicentennial in 1976, this national experience was driven by commerce. Kicked off in Montgomery, Alabama, by the reenactment of the inauguration of Jefferson Davis, 46 states set up Centennial commissions to organize and sponsor various events. As is usually the case, this type of overexposure led to a glut of inferior products and a general malaise in the public's attitude toward The War Between the States that lasted far longer than the original celebration. It is painfully apparent at many War Between the States battlefields that the visiting room maps and displays haven't been updated since the Centennial. Park attendance has also suffered when compared to competing recreational activities. As an example, the Stones River battlefield, located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, drew only 138,000 in 1977; by contrast, Opryland, U.S.A., a country music-related theme park only 30 miles away drew more than $2 million paying customers.
The tide began to turn again when Michael Shaara's book THE KILLER ANGELS was published in 1975. Despite the fact that the book received mixed reviews and sold poorly, Shaara was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his fictional portrayal of Gettysburg. THE KILLER ANGELS might have languished as just another good War Between the States novel if Ted Turner hadn't chosen to film it as the inaugural offering of historical movies he planned to broadcast on television. Renamed GETTYSBURG, the film turned out so well that Turner decided to release it as a full-fledged movie. However, before Ted Turner brought THE KILLER ANGELS to life, Shaara's novel had had an even greater impact on the resurrection of The War Between the States. It was on Christmas Day in 1984 that filmmaker Ken Burns finished reading Shaara's novel. The book gave Ken Burn's the "courage" he needed to take on the challenge of turning The War Between the States in to a documentary.
More than anything else, Burns' documentary shook the dust off the Civil War by focusing on ordinary people and how they were affected by, and sometimes changed, history. Burns described The War Between the States as "the American Iliad, as relevant today as at any time in our history," and as "more defining of us as a nation than any other event before or after." It is a measure of the war's enduring hold on the imagination of Americans that we as a nation keep coming back to The War Between the States. Perhaps the phenomenon was best described by social philosopher Lewis Mumford, who said that each generation rediscovers and re-examines that part of their past that brings the present new meaning and new possibilities. For Americans, that part of the past is The War Between the States.
With the upcoming Sesquicentennial (150th) commemoration of The War Between the States, the vast scope of the war and the vibrant personalities who rose to greatness during this country's harshest trial by fire have left behind a rich tapestry of facts, figures, quotes, enigmas, and stories. This timely book, THE ESSENTIAL CIVIL WAR: A HANDBOOK TO THE BATTLES, ARMIES, NAVIES, AND COMMANDERS utilizes an easy-to-use format of essential facts of that conflict. The first section concentrates on individual topics, each of which is organized alphabetically and thoroughly cross-referenced. These provide details regarding the battles, armies, and commanders of this deadly conflict. In the second half of this book, information is presented chronologically, with all significant happenings listed by date. Appendices provide a glossary of contemporary terms; an alphabetical listing of ships from both navies; and basic biographical information on all commanders. Author Jayne E. Blair's book deserves to be on the shelf of any serious student of The War Between the States.Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida
The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders Overview

Want to learn more information about The Essential Civil War: A Handbook to the Battles, Armies, Navies and Commanders?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now