The Mysterious Private Thompson: The Double Life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, Civil War Soldier

By Laura Leedy Gansler

Book Overview

Resurrecting a lost hero of the Civil War, The Mysterious Private Thompson tells the remarkable story of Sarah Emma Edmonds (1841-98), who disguised herself as a man and defended her country at a time... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743242807
• ISBN13: 9780743242806
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 255 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

So good it should be made into a movie!!!

"The Mysterious Private Thompson" is a first-rate, riveting book about a woman who ran away from home to avoid an arranged marriage and disguised herself as a man to make her way in the world. She first became a successful traveling book salesman and then, astoundingly, served as a Civil War soldier for two years. Not only is the story fascinating as to how someone could maintain a disguise so effectively for so long a period of time, but the story's historical context is so carefully researched and deftly conveyed that you are almost unaware that this is a history book as well as a human interest story. I learned more in this book about the Battles of Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, the Battle of Fredericksburg, plus Generals McClellan and Burnside, than I had in all my years of school. Laura Gansler is a brilliant, gifted writer and I highly recommend this book.