From School Library Journal
-A valuable collection of Northern and Southern political cartoons that effectively conveys some of the political, economic, and moral issues surrounding the war. The cartoons illustrate perfectly what is most fascinating about our Victorian predecessors: they seem so familiar to us, and yet are so foreign at the same time. A helpful foreword addresses the racist nature of many of the drawings. The cartoons are presented by the year in which they were printed, along with usually helpful explanations that shed light on allusions that may escape late 20th-century sensibilities, e.g., why Lincoln is often portrayed in Scotch-plaid capes in Southern cartoons. Northern works predominate because of the paucity of Southern publishers and resources. This sometimes amusing but more often disturbing book will add to readers' understanding of the Civil War.-Rebecca L. Wells, UMI, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
This book collects for the first time a wide range of cartoons, comics, and caricatures related to the Civil War. Arranged chronologically with full captions to provide historical context, this collection of Northern, Southern, and overseas social commentary is critical to an enhanced understanding of this dark episode in American history. Included are 138 illustrations from the more popular publications of the day such as 'Harper's', 'Vanity Fair', 'Southern Illustrated News', 'New York Illustrated News', and 'London Punch'.