With the 3rd Wisconsin Badgers: The Living Experience of the Civil War Through the Diaries of Van R. Willard [Hardcover]

Van R. Willard (Author), Steven S. Raab (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

"Entertaining, enlightening, consummately human, Van Willard's war may have had days when time hung heavily on his hands, but no reader will suffer his boredom in reading this narrative." --William C. Davis

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081170002X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811700023
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,856,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent first-hand account of the Civil War, September 24, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: With the 3rd Wisconsin Badgers: The Living Experience of the Civil War Through the Diaries of Van R. Willard (Hardcover)

Fantastic reading! One gets the feeling that you've just discovered a set of dusty old diaries written by your great-great grandfather. The only thing missing is the original quill pen writing and the smell of old paper! There is no mistaking this was written by a man who was there. The author was no ordinary soldier-he was obviously intelligent and well educated by the way he retained and portrayed so vividly the events and topics of the period. This is not a military history, although there is much historical fact recorded. He discusses not only the battles and life as a soldier, but also the current thinking of both the Union supporters and the rebellion supporters. The editors comments are helpful, often providing important relavent information and correcting historical mistakes. Not all of the text was written on the front lines. Much of it was written in recent retrospect, and probably with the help of other soldiers accounts; so it isn't entirely first hand. Nonetheless, it's as close to the original story one can get. The discussion of the battle scenes is detailed enough to evoke real empathy toward all who lived during the war, yet is sparing of any gory detail. I'm not a military buff. I'm a history buff. I enjoyed the reading for its originality. It puts you squarely back to the 1860's.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars View the Civil War from a Soldier's Perspective, June 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: With the 3rd Wisconsin Badgers: The Living Experience of the Civil War Through the Diaries of Van R. Willard (Hardcover)

This isn't just another Civil War soldier's diary; Van Willard wrote 5 complete journals or "books" during his enlistment with the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry. You will discover that Willard was a very insightful and educated fellow, as he offers his thoughts and opinions about the war, the south, slavery, immigrant troops, the Iron Brigade, officers and so forth. Viewing the war from his eyes offers the reader an entirely different perspective than what we are used to finding in other Civil War books and diaries.

I highly recommend this book for any civil war buff or for anyone interested in the finest regiment to ever leave the Badger State, Wisconsin's 3rd Regiment of Infantry Volunteers.!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hidden Gem, June 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: With the 3rd Wisconsin Badgers: The Living Experience of the Civil War Through the Diaries of Van R. Willard (Hardcover)

The only thing that disappoints me about this book is that so few people have read it. Van Willard's diaries are very different from most other Civil War accounts. They are extremely well written; I was surprised that he wasn't a well-known writer, considering the engaging text. Willard doesn't go into the minutiae of daily life, but presents an all-around account that is on a completely different level than other soldiers' diaries or letters.

You won't be disappointed with this book!