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Bevat de naam: William B. Styple

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Perhaps the most enlightening book about the Civil War I have ever read, The insights provided are captivating. So ironic to read about a President trying to save the Union while having people serving under him in high positions with entirely contradictory objectives.
 
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lippincott | Dec 10, 2019 |
Styple has edited the 1000+ page memoirs of artist/sculptor James Kelly. Kelly was a noted illustrator and sculptor during the later part of the 19th and early part of the 20th Century. He is most known for illustrations of Civil War scenes and several bronze statues of Civil War generals. Kelly created his art from life, with most of his subjects sitting for him. What makes his memoirs valuable is the interviews he conducted during these sittings, most of which he wrote down immediately after. He interviewed most Union generals of note, including Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan. Unfortunately, much of the conversation was taken up with what type of hat they wore , the color of their horse, and so forth. Much of the remainder of the conversations revolved around who dislike who, and who was overrated, etc. Unfortunately, anytime anyone spoke poorly of someone Kelly was friends with (Sheridan) Kelly would cut them off and the conversation would turn to another topic. The first half of the book was a slog mainly due to the aforementioned hat questions, however after that it did pick up and I am glad I did not give up on it.

The sub-title of the book is somewhat misleading in that it includes only Union officers, with the brief exception of Fitzhugh Lee, and there are several interviews with individuals who were either not officers or were not connected with the war, these included photographer Matthew Brady, a number of actors from Ford's Theater, and Theodore Roosevelt.

The book assumes the reader has more then a passing knowledge of the Civil War. There are many references to the controversies surrounding Warren, Porter, and Sickles. This is not for the Civil War newcomer, but there is some interesting information here. I can only wonder what was left out.
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sgtbigg | May 27, 2011 |
This is a history for children – probably children around ten years old, or so, I would say. It concerns the true story of Gustav Schurmann, a four foot, seven inch tall, twelve-year-old boy from New York City who joins the 40th New York Regiment – the Mozart Regiment – along with his father in 1861. (The father gets sick, is invalided out, and dies later on at home.) He serves as a drummer in the 40th and then as bugler and orderly – mostly for a series of different generals. He is present and under fire at a number of the early, Eastern Theater battles. He spends a short time at the White House, on furlough, as companion to Tad Lincoln, the President’s son. (Tad, by the way, as portrayed here, is kind of a nauseating sounding brat.) After Gettysburg, he is promised by the wounded General Dan Sickles that he will sponsor him for entrance into West Point, Gustav goes home to his now widowed mother and young sisters in order to get an education. (Typically, the promise from the controversial, politician-general is never honored and instead of having a career in the military, Schurmann becomes a bookbinder.)
I can’t say that I really liked this book for it was so obviously written down to the level of a child and therefore a little cloying. Another thing I found annoying was the imaginary dialog and descriptions of what Gustav was seeing, experiencing and thinking even though he left no record, written or otherwise of his thoughts and feelings concerning his war experience. Styple is not really cheating for he plainly states in the Introduction the limitations he faced in writing the book and the device he used in recreating the dialog, but I still found it annoying. Perhaps a child would not. It was o.k.
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½
 
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Fourpawz2 | Sep 14, 2008 |

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10
Leden
200
Populariteit
#110,008
Waardering
½ 3.7
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3
ISBNs
18

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