Soldiers Blue and Gray / Edition 1

by James I. Robertson Jr.

Overview

The poignant tale of Johnny Reb and Billy Yank

Soldiers Blue and Gray tells the story of Johnny Reb and Billy Yank-soldiers who recorded their experiences and emotions in the largest outpouring of letter writing in America's history. In the first scholarly, in-depth examination of the Civil War soldier published since Bell I. Wiley's two-volume study half a century ago, James I. Robertson, Jr., draws upon hundreds of rare and obscure sources to produce a moving account of what it was like to participate in the bloodiest and most intense war the world had ever seen. A tremendous amount of such writing came to light during—and has appeared since—the Civil War Centennia lof the 1960s. And what those men felt, observed, and endured reinforces the opinion that while they left something to be desired as soldiers, this nation has rarely ever produced greater fighters of more courage and devotion. Drawing upon hundreds of obscure and hard-to-find sources, the author has produced a fresh, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking chronicle of a war that was the watershed of American history, because it truly united the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570032998
Publisher:	University of South Carolina Press
Publication date:	10/01/1998
Series:	Studies in American History
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	741,968
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.25(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James I. Robertson, Jr. is the Alumni Distinguished Professor of History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. Robertson has received every major award in his field and is the author of more than two hundred articles and ten books on the Civil War period, including Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend; General A. P. Hill: The Story of a Confederate Warrior; Civil War Sites in Virginia; and The Stonewall Brigade.

What People are Saying About This

Civil War

Devoting chapters to such topics as enlisting, camp life, religion, and the trial of combat, Robertson constructs an engrossing study of young men at war. His soldiers blue and gray are far more alike than different, sharing a common background, religion, and set of experiences in camp, hospital, and battle.

Journal of Southern History

It is a remarkable tribute to Robertson's knowledge of the subject that in this, the most complete single volume on Civil War soldiers, he has used hundreds of letters and diaries-quoting soldiers on nearly every subject-without duplicating [Bell I.] Wiley's wonderful accounts.

From the Publisher

Devoting chapters to such topics as enlisting, camp life, religion, and the trial of combat, Robertson constructs an engrossing study of young men at war. His soldiers blue and gray are far more alike than different, sharing a common background, religion, and set of experiences in camp, hospital, and battle.

Military History

This is a master story-teller's book-entertaining, absorbing, filled with anecdotes and humor. Robertson skillfully synthesizes the experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of both Union and Confederate soldiers, using parallel examples to show that soldier life, despite some differences, was basically the same on either side of the battle lines The expert will enjoy reexploring some familiar territory, and the uninitiated will find no better introduction to the subject.

Editorial Reviews

Robertson (history, Virginia Polytechnic Institute) draws on the immense amount of primary material that has come to light over the past three decades--soldiers' letters, journals, and unprinted recollections--as well as material previously available, but bypassed or only selectively used, by the author's mentor Bell I. Wiley (The Life of Johnny Reb and The Life of Billy Yank). This work provides a fresh perspective. Quotations dominate the text. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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