Customer Reviews

Battle Flags of Texans in the Confederacy

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very good book for anyone interested in Confederate flag. Many good illustrations and good history provided for each flag. It provides much information on Confederate Texas flags that have not been given much press. I strongly recommend this book.

One must be aware that these are illustrations, paintings perhaps, of how the flags would have appeared when new. No stains, rips or holes. Also, unlike photographs, they are the interpretation of what the author saw. Do not mistake me, they are extremely well done. I would even call them "accurate" but they do not reach exact. There are some of these I have seen and photographed in the Texas Confederate Museum and I was further allowed to photograph some retired to the museum's workroom & not normally available for public viewing while awaiting further restoration/preservation. One other caveat that should be noted is that, my copy of the book anyway, was published in 1995 and a lot of research has been done since then.
Some examples of mistakes. One, he appears to use a standard image of a perfectly formed 5 point star throughout (at least where such stars were appropriate). But, many of these stars were cut and sewn by hand and were less than so perfectly symmetric. The battleflag of the 4th Texas Vol. Inf (Hood's Brigade, ANV) is one example. It's stars are fatter and blunter of point arms. The larger central star is much fatter than represented in the book. Also, while the author takes care in orientating the direction of point in the stars, in the case of the 4th's flag just described, the large central star is depicted upside down. Also, another flaw in it is that the white staff side material is shown of equal size with the other three gold borders. It is actually thinner and the nail holes are visible, though that detail might be forgiven. The 4th's flad also had a streamer that might have been included as well as it's bullet holed and engraved spear point, also in the museums possession.
Then there's the wonderfully ornate 20th Reg't Texas Vol.s flag. This flag was probably detailed by a professional sign painter. It has many decorative lines, swirls and small decorative... details are all I can think to call them. The artist has failed to recreate many of those wonderful details exactly so that really, the reader only gets a good if not exact idea of how the flag truly appears. I am comparing a photo I took of the flag to the illustration as I write this. Actually, the illustration appears more hand painted than does the original flag. Again, the actual flag's stars lack the exact symmetry of the illustration's.
there are also some errors in the text.
Over all, this work is really excellent. No such work ever can be 100% accurate and I point out its flaws only to inform, not to criticize. But it is due to those flaws that I give the book only 4 stars. A nice touch would have been inset of photographs of surviving flags where available and as comparison to the illustrations.
The book itself is good sized, 8.5" x 11," well constructed book printed on heavy stock suitable for such heavy illustrations and with a dust cover. (Though the the artist's painting used may also be in error, depicting a flag used at Gettysburg more closely resembling that lost at Sharpsburg/Antietam.)
I do recommend this book.

This book was very informative and well written. The descriptions and pictures add to the A plus rating delegated to this inspirational piece of historical work. I'd recommend the book to any serious student of the Civil War era.