Daily Life in Civil War America (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) [Hardcover]

Dorothy Denneen Volo (Author), James M. Volo (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313305161 | ISBN-13: 978-0313305160 | Publication Date: November 30, 1998

The United States Civil War touched the lives of every American North and South at that time. This informative book makes extensive use of journals, newspapers, and diaries to bring together the experience of the soldier, civilian, and slave in one volume. The experiences of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb are contrasted with activities on the homefront to bring this turbulent era alive for students, teachers and Civil War buffs. This engaging history also provides interesting details such as: what the slaves' and the freed black men and women's lives were like; how the soldiers obtained their food; how recipes were changed to accommodate food shortages; the popular books and magazines of the time; and how clothing and fashion were affected by the war. The ideas and ideals which brought about the crisis are discussed and period writings are included to provide great insight into the mindset of the time. This volume is enhanced by period photographs, lithographs and original art work, much of which has never before appeared in print.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This work seems suitable for readers from 8th grade to adulthood. Students will benefit by gaining an understanding of the culture of the day; teachers will find that this information about daily life will enrich the Civil War curriculum.”–American Reference Books Annual

“...good source....This volume encapsulates the experience and philosophy of civilians, slaves, and soldiers.”–College and Research Libraries News

“The text is well written and complemented by a nice assortment of drawings and photos....This volume fills an overlooked niche in civil war literature. Highly recommended for all public and university libraries,”–Colorado Libraries

“...anyone interested in Civil War America would enjoy this book....This is a refreshing look at everyday America during the Civil War, and we can only hope that other historians carry on this kind of valuable research and writing.”–The Journal of Southern History

Book Description

No event in U.S. history has been written about more than the Civil War—a convulsive era that impacted every American—and not just the over 600,000 who fought in it. But while the battle campaigns, pivotal events, and larger-than-life figures get most of the attention, less often covered are the ordinary citizens swept up in those extraordinary times.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (November 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313305161
• ISBN-13: 978-0313305160
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,329,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daily Life in Civil War America, February 8, 2000

By 

Rena Mears - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daily Life in Civil War America (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) (Hardcover)

This is an extremly well writen book, about the daily life of the american people during the civil war. As a civil war re-enactor I found this book very informative and a great help in my portrayal of a soldier\cook.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings, April 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Daily Life in Civil War America (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) (Hardcover)

This book is excellent in its relative lack of bias and in its discussion of the causes of the war. It gives a lot of information on soldier life, which was of limited use to me since I've read Wiley, McPherson, etc. etc. etc. What disappointed me about the book was its limited attention to civilian life and mentalities. Most of the material seemed relevant only to rich people and city folks -- I can't imagine that average 19th century people really used cartes du visite and spoon-warmers. I've been looking for some information on attitudes toward married life and family, and this is one in a long series of books that hasn't contained very much -- there's a little on child-rearing but that's it. There is quite a bit of information on clothing, perhaps aimed toward a reenactor readership. Overall, I'd recommend this, but be aware that it has its limitations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but have questions, November 3, 2010

By 

Suresh F. Sampath "Ragavacharyar" (Yakima, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daily Life in Civil War America (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) (Kindle Edition)

I found this book interesting and entertaining in that it shed light on a number of different aspects of what led up to the war and provided some insight as to the daily lives of soliders and civilians during the conflict. My interest for browsing the reviews in the first place is that in the slavery section the book seems to suggest that the firsthand accounts from former slaves and their abolitionist allies were exaggerated and that while the treatment was bad, it was not that bad. I wondered if anyone had wondered about the veracity of this in the book. The book does provide convincing justification for its position, but nevertheless, I was curious what others thought.