Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War 1862-1865 [Paperback]

Noah Andre Trudeau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1999

In this unprecedented work of history, one of America's leading Civil War historians draws from nineteenth-century newspapers, letter, & soldiers' diaries to recreate the experiences of African-American troops in the Civil War. The authors richly textured narrative immerses us, battle by battle, in stories of the more than 175,000 black soldiers whose contributions have long been ignored or forgotten. More than a military history, Like Men of War is the stirring saga of people whose answer to slavery was a fierce determination to claim their full rights as citizens by force of arms.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although countless books have been written about the Civil War, the role of black troops has been consistently underrepresented until recently. Nearly 180,000 of them fought--mostly for the North, but a handful even took up arms for the slaveholding South. Many wanted to serve at the start of the conflict, but a variety of factors kept them on the sidelines. Until Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, many Union leaders--including the president--held that the war was not about slavery. Racist views caused some to question further the value of black soldiers; there was also genuine concern about how Confederates would treat captured blacks.

But, as Noah Andre Trudeau reveals, black soldiers demonstrated bravery and professionalism from the moment they suited up. He recounts well-known events, such as the 54th Massachusetts' attack on Fort Wagner, as well as less familiar ones, such as blacks' involvement in the war's last directed combat one month after Lee's surrender. There were atrocities, too: in 1864, Confederates slaughtered black prisoners of war at Fort Pillow (Southern historians once disputed this brutal act of cold-blooded murder, but most scholars accept it as true today). Although Trudeau sometimes sacrifices his narrative drive to excessive detail, Like Men of War remains a compelling book full of strong battle scenes. --John J. Miller

From Library Journal

At last, the service of black soldiers in the Union Army during the Civil War is receiving the recognition it deserves. Building on Dudley T. Cornish's pioneering work in The Sable Arm (1956; Univ. Pr. of Kansas, 1987. reprint) and the detailed discussion of officer-soldier relations in Joseph T. Glatthaar's Forged in Battle (LJ 10/1/89), Trudeau, the author of a trilogy covering military operations during the last year of the war (e.g., Out of the Storm, LJ 3/1/94), presents the fullest study of the battlefield experiences of black Union regiments. Some 60 maps help the reader make sense of famous engagements (Fort Wagner and the Crater) and notorious incidents (Fort Pillow) in which black soldiers fought, as well as scores of lesser-known clashes. Rich archival research is integrated into a lively narrative that places the raising and deployment of black regiments in broader contexts. This book will become a basic source of information on the subject. Recommended for public and academic collections.?Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State Univ., Tempe
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316853445
• ISBN-13: 978-0316853446
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,364,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting piece of Military History, July 11, 1998

By 

Aussie Reader ""Rick"" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War, 1862-1865 (Hardcover)

Noah Trudeau is a great author of Civil War history and in this book he once again shows that he is a craftsman of his art. This is only one of two books I have every read that have showed the role that negroes played in the military history of the United States. I have read many books on the American Civil War and very few have ever mentioned U.S. Black Troops, at long last this gap in American history has been filled. The narrative is excellent and the author has researched his topic well, covering almost every major skirmish and action undertaken by these troops. Its a shame that these actions weren't in more detail & depth but I suppose the author had constraints on time and size (the book is 548 pages). He has placed each action in context within the war and the political feeling at the time. The author has used letters, diaries and after-action reports of the participants and others involved (reporters & politicians). Overall the book offers the reader a very good overview of the role of coloured troops during the Civil War.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Start!, October 18, 2005

By 

T. Jordan (Northern VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War 1862-1865 (Paperback)

This book offers a history lesson of the Negro within the ranks of our great military, some ver positive and some very negative. It is well written and presents a good picture of the civil war and fighting as a black soldier. As a retired military officer, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would like to see more research in this area.

Per Mr. Ford's (a write-in) comments on black soldiers and their inability to stand and fight, I will offer the following comments:

Some of the most important tenants in producing successful soldiers are training, discipline, leadership and morale. Not making excuses for any soldier of any racial background who flee any battlefield (or Mr. Fords comments), I think that if one properly researches the history of the black soldier during the civil war, one would find that they were not in many instances very well trained, disciplined, nor led. There primary function was to perform menial duties (grave diggers, personal aides, and other non combat related duties). In addition, to many white officers, it was considered a slap in the face to command black troops. So I oft wonder who trained them and how creditable was the training? In addition, who led these men and what were their qualifications to lead?

Although not a very appeasing statement, but American soldiers throughout history have been routed on the battlefield. This is demonstrated throughout the Civil War by both Union and Confederate soldiers. During the First Battle of Manassas, union soldiers ran after being routed by confederate forces. Also, during the battle at Gettysburg confederate soldiers fled the battlefield in the face of adversity and in some cases after poor leadership decisions.

More recently, American soldiers were routed during the Africa Campaign of WWII and also during Korea where many American soldiers fled the battlefield in the face of overwhelming odds, lack of leadership, proper training, decipline, morale, and proper logistics.

Although Mr. Ford commentary is truly eloquent, he should do a better job researching and clearly presenting the facts.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A needed history, June 29, 2006

By 

James W. Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Like Men of War (Hardcover)

"Like Men of War" has never received the exposure that it should have or I feel is entitled to. Trudeau is a prize winning Civil War author, who tackled some obscure subjects. We benefit from this by seeing parts of the war that just do not coverage. "Like Men of War" is an excellent history of the USCT, its' development and battles. This is not a small book but it reads well. A small book could not do the USCT justice.

I do not know if it is possible to understand the American Civil War or Black History without reading this book.