Never Were Men So Brave: The Irish Brigade During the Civil War [Hardcover]

Susan Provost Beller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1998 | Age Level: 10 and up

More American lives were lost during The Battle of Antietam than any other one-day battle in history before or since. Among the killed and wounded were 535 members of the Irish Brigade, a unit known for the "recklessness of their charges and their tenacity under fire". In vivid detail, Susan Beller tells the story of Antietam and of the remarkable Irishmen who made up one of the most famous Civil War fighting units. 30 photos. 2 maps Ages 10 and up. Pub: 2/98. .

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up?The story of the Irish Brigade, one of the most colorful and feared Northern units in the American Civil War. Supported by a generous number of period photographs and reproductions and skillfully selected excerpts from primary sources, the book documents the Brigade's origins among the "Young Ireland" movement of the 1840s, follows it through bloody military glory (at Antietam alone, the Irish Brigade suffered more than 500 casualties), and touches on the postwar fates of the survivors. Details of the author's historical research in Ireland and the U.S. abound throughout, but never slow the narrative, which is skillfully organized, fast paced, and compelling. Especially fascinating are Beller's vivid portraits of some of the Brigade's amazing characters. Among these were Commander Thomas Francis Meagher, who lived through deadly danger both as an Irish rebel and a Union officer to become acting governor of the Montana Territory before his death in 1867. Equally memorable, Father William Corby became possibly the most famous chaplain in the war after his inspiring blessing on July 2, 1863, caused Catholics and non-Catholics alike to fall to their knees on the Gettysburg battleground. This book is a fine example of historical exposition for young people, and is a worthy follow-up to the author's To Hold This Ground (McElderry, 1995).?Starr E. Smith, Marymount University Library, Arlington, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7^-12. A story of patriotism and valor, this Civil War account traces the fate of the Irish Brigade. Beller focuses largely on battles, military leaders, and strategy, though she occasionally goes beyond textbook treatment to examine the lives of individuals on the front lines, pointing out that many of the brigade's soldiers were newer immigrants who enlisted with Union forces because they knew that prosperity required a strong, unified nation, not because they abhorred slavery. Beller sometimes glosses over what may now be considered politically incorrect and offers readers little chance to understand the political attitudes of the period. Instead, she takes readers from Manassas to Antietam to Fredericksburg to Gettysburg, where the body counts escalated as quickly as the rhetoric leaders used to inspire the men to glory. Some surprising, moving images are scattered among battle details, such as the blessing of hundreds of troops at Gettysburg and the celebration of St. Patrick's Day with mass, a picnic, and a steeplechase. Recommended for more comprehensive collections. Bibliography. Randy Meyer

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 98 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books; 1st edition (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689814062
• ISBN-13: 978-0689814068
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,181,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in New England and loved the history all around me there. Then I went off to college in Washington, DC, where I met my husband, an actual native Washingtonian, who loved history but from a whole other period of time. Here was my soul mate, and so it has proven for 41 years, three children and five grandchildren--we still regularly head off to somewhere new to learn something new from history, even heading to the tip of Newfoundland this fall to visit L'Anse aux Meadows and walk where the Vikings walked.

As a writer, I consider myself to be mostly a "teller of stories" and I find the true stories from the adventure of history to be the ones I most enjoy telling. I have always been a reader of history. I especially loved to read biographies during my childhood. As an adult, I began reading more of the actual primary source material of history--diaries and letters and reminiscences by people who were actually involved in an historical event. The stories I found in this reading, especially the ones from the Civil War and Revolutionary War were fascinating and much too interesting to be left to just adult readers. So I became a writer of history, in addition to being a reader of it. All I try to do is to take my favorite stories from history and share them with younger readers, using the words of the people who were really there as much as possible. Over the years I have expanded the history I enjoy to some parts of European history especially anything to do with the Romans, and anything from the Medieval and Renaissance periods.

However, as the years have passed, I find that all that I have learned and then shared with my readers stays with me and makes me only want to write more. This time I want to be able to speculate of what these real people were really thinking, and that means writing fiction. My writing will still be full of history--I couldn't get away from that if I tried! But now I'll have room to close my eyes and pretend that I am there back in the past, part of all that real history I still love!
www.susanprovostbeller.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise History of an overlooked Civil War Brigade, July 6, 2000

By 

John P. Rooney "John" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Never Were Men So Brave: The Irish Brigade During the Civil War (Hardcover)

Never Were Men So Brave by Susan Provost Beller, 1998. This is a short book, (98 pages) intended for a younger audience, while providing a well-written and very complete history of this famous unit. Any person of Irish descent would be happy to own this book. Susan Beller records the glory garnered by the Irish Brigade in some of the most decisive and heaviest battles in the Civil War. Ms. Beller addresses the proven bravery displayed by the actions of the Irish Brigade, (made up of the 69th New York, 63rd NY, 88th NY and the 29th Massachusetts) at decisive battles, and she gives vivid descriptions of the actions of the Brigade through some important characters such as General Thomas Meagher (pronounced MAAAHer). For example, at the bloodiest single day in American history, September 17th 1862, Susan Beller not only tells the story of the vital contribution of the Irish Brigade at the "Bloody Lane", but tells how, when they ran out of ammunition, the Irish Brigade "right-shouldered arms" and marched away in good order from the enemy. She also describes how shaken General Meagher was when his horse was shot and subsequently fell on the General. In this brief book, Ms. Beller provides a complete synopsis of the life of the Irish rebel, Meagher, from his early days in Ireland to his exile in Australia and finally his escape and settlement in America. She also describes important historical events, such as the famous "general absolution" given by Chaplain William Corby. Either one of these individuals would make a fine central character in a movie about the "Irish Brigade"; .... The Irish Brigade, as Ms Beller relates, was involved in some of the most important Civil War battles, and were so effective that it caused Confederate General Robert E. Lee to state, "Never were men so brave", from which the author draws her title. Perhaps Mel Gibson might consider such a movie

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Irish Suppression With A Little Civil War Mixed In, August 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Never Were Men So Brave: The Irish Brigade During the Civil War (Hardcover)

"Never Were Men So Brave" is a "nice" effort for the sixth or seventh grader looking for general information on Irish emigration in the 1840's or about the American Civil War at the unit level. But a high school term paper it isn't. Ms. Beller's book in no way approaches the detail satisfying those interested in reading regimental or brigade histories (e.g., "The Iron Brigade" by Nolan; "The Last Full Measure" by Moe). The book begins with an elementary -- clearly pro-Irish -- summary of 800 years of Irish Catholic persecution at the hands of the English. This is a subject unto itself, and Beller's cursory treatment is neither thorough or balanced.

The history of the Irish Brigade (63rd, 69th, and 88th New York and 29th Massachusetts) in the Civil War emerges as nearly an afterthought -- absent of detail or depth, leaving the reader hungry for more. Judging by the bibliography, Beller appears to have had the background research in hand but fails to use it to best advantage, even for the target audience. The pictures, illustrations and many of the quotations (espcially from Father William Corby) are nice supplements to an otherwise disappointing treatment.