Portraits of the Civil War: The Men & Women in Blue & Gray

by William C. Davis

Portraits of the Civil War presents portrait images, some never-before-published, made from surviving photographic glass plate negatives of the Civil War period. Spellbinding photographs of these legend-makers, unsung heroes and camp followers are accompanied by mini-biographies, bringing the war vividly to life. Few books have focused exclusively on the revealing and fascinating portraits of the many individuals, famous or not, who participated in...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 076511691X
• ISBN13: 9780765116918
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Smithmark Publishers
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 10.7" x 11.4"

Customer Reviews

FINE PORTRAITS, INSIGHTFUL TEXT BY A CIVIL WAR MASTER

"Portraits of the Civil War" is the latest offering by acclaimed Civil War author William C. Davis (author of "Lincoln's Men", "Duel Between the First Ironclads" and so many other fine works), and although a slim volume (128 pages in all), for the Civil War enthusiast it is worth its weight in Gold.Using photographs by Brady, Gardner and others, Davis writes brief but interesting profiles about the well-known (Lincoln, Lee, Grant, Custer and Davis) but also provides interesting commentaries on some lesser-known figures, including Jefferson C. Davis, the volatile Union General, Thomas Custer, George Armstrong's Medal of Honor winning brother, and Confederate Sergeant Richard Kirkland, the so-called "Angel" of Fredericksburg, whose compassion towards wounded Union soldiers on the Fredericksburg battlefield is now part of the Civil War legend (less than a year later, Kirkland, by then an officer, died gallantly on the Chickamauga Battlefield). Brothers who fought on opposite sides, such as Percival (who was Farragut's flag captain at Mobile Bay) and Thomas Drayton and James and William Terrill ("...perhaps their education either reflected - or influenced - their decisions"). In the latter case, both Terrills died on the battlefield, Union General William at Perryville, and Confederate General James at Bethesda Church.Davis also brings to life Women, Blacks, and Native Americans such as the Confederate Cherokee Stand Watie who served in the Civil War. For those already familiar with Davis' earlier works, he also brings to this volume his antipathy (less than well-concealed) towards Confederate General Joseph Johnston ("Afterwards Johnston fought Davis with a vigor he never showed against the Yankees").Outside of this opinionated analysis, and the exclusion of other colorful figures such as Medal of Honor Winner Union Nurse Mary Walker and Confederate General Joseph Wheeler (in a 128 page book you can't have everybody), this book of fine portraits and well-written profiles clearly belongs on the bookshelves of both the beginning student and the diehard enthusiast, and makes a fine holiday (or otherwise) gift for those in both categories!