The Sable Arm: Black Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (Modern War Studies) [Paperback]

Dudley Taylor Cornish (Author), Herman Hattaway (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1990 | ISBN-10: 070060328X | ISBN-13: 978-0700603282

A bona fide classic, The Sable Arm was the first work to fully chronicle the remarkable story of the nearly 180,000 black troops who served in the Union army. This work paved the way for the exploration of the black military experience in other wars. This edition, with a new foreword by Herman Hattaway and bibliographical essay by the author, makes available once again a pioneering work that will be especially useful for scholars and students of Civil War, black, and military history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the one hundred best books ever written on the Civil War." -- Civil War Times Illustrated

From the Back Cover

"The most valuable book ever written on the topic."--Herman Hattaway, coauthor of How the North Won

"Superbly written. . . . A major study . . . on a neglected side of the war."--T. Harry Williams, author of Lincoln and His Generals

"Pioneering. . . . Readable, interesting, sound, with important insights."--James M. McPherson, author of The Negro's Civil War

"A volume of permanent value."--George B. Tindall, author of The Emergence of the New South, 1913-1945

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas (March 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 070060328X
• ISBN-13: 978-0700603282
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,894 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 under recognized, May 30, 2000

By 

Adam DeShong - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sable Arm: Black Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (Modern War Studies) (Paperback)

In this book Dudly Cornish tells about the role of black troops in the Civil War. This book is one of the most comprehensive accounts of a single section in the Civil War. Until I read this book I had no idea to what extent the black solider played in the war. The union may not have won the war if it were not for those black troops. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Civil War.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mighty Men!, September 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sable Arm: Black Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (Modern War Studies) (Paperback)

Every kid, especially black kids should read this book. They will learn what true struggle is, what teamwork is, what overcoming prejudice and hatred look like. Common white soldiers and their officers who had never seen a black person no less cared about them, came away astounded at the black soldiers' bravery and fortitude in battle. At their strong desire to learn how to read, how to be an independent human. Names like Cold Harbor and Fort Pillow will become almost sacred. This was how modern America was built: On a shared struggle for freedom. For evolution.

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Subject, February 25, 2011

By 

petesea "Which twin has the petesea?" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sable Arm: Black Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865 (Modern War Studies) (Paperback)

A great subject that has some details that I found fascinating - today's Officer Candidate Schools are a direct descendant of boards to evaluate officers for the black regiments; the wealthy were able to hire substitutes to serve for them if they were drafted and many black soldiers were those substitutes; President Lincoln was not an ardent supporter of having black troops from the beginning of the war; and many more. I wish that this book had more information on the battles that the black troops had, was more organized and better written - it become very redundant at times. A lot of the beginning of the book is taken verbatim from newspaper accounts at the time and it made for choppy reading. I wish that this had been in chronological order (it would have been easier to follow) and that General's names consistently included whether they were Union or Confederate which made it hard to follow the narrative. This is more of a scholarly work, but the subject is compelling.