5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Well-designed Plan for Battlefield Preservation, November 1, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Paving Over the Past: A History And Guide To Civil War Battlefield Preservation (Paperback)
In recent years, our fascination with the Civil War has grown tremendously. Our concern with preserving the places where the Civil War was fought, however, has not kept pace.
The Boges demonstrate very well the dangers that our Civil War battlefields face from uncontrolled, unthinking development. They also argue presuasively why we ought to protect these near-sacred places, for educational, historical, environmental and myriad other reasons.
But, what sets this book apart is that the Boges actually present a plan for protecting our Civil War battlefields from the developer's earthmover. Their greatest contribution is that they show, through case studies and economic analysis, that development and saving battlefields are compatible. In fact, contrary to what developers would have us believe, saving battlefields can be a boon economically to the communities where the battlefields are located, let alone the benefit we all receive by preserving the battlefields.
The Boges are not, however, pollyannas seeking an end to all development. They are eminently realistic about the need for development, and this only makes their argument ever more persuasive. In addition, the maps, drawings and photographs in the book give real content to the threat facing our Civil War battlefields. What's more, there is a great foreword by James McPherson, author of Batle Cry of Freedom. One criticism I had was that the language the Boges used was, at times, melodramatic, although this clearly reflects the Boges' passion for the subject.
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