Witness to the Civil War: First-Hand Accounts from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper [Hardcover]

Jim Lewin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

For four bloody years, the Civil War ravaged America. Those at home could only imagine the sights and events overtaking their husbands and sons, fathers and brothers who were under arms.

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper was a primary source of information during those dark days. The reporters and artists who traveled with the armies were eyewitnesses to events, great and small, for their captivated readers. Sometimes the news was sensational. At other times it was tragic. But it was always eagerly sought after.

Here are the accounts, in pictures and stories, of those first wartime journalists. Here are their reports from the front lines. Here is the Civil War's news as originally presented to loved ones at home. Here you will find images of the battles, the leaders, the camp life, and of the soldiers who gave their all for North and South.

In your hands you hold the testimony of those who were Witness to the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. G. Lewin and P. J. Huff are freelance writers who specialize in popular and military history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian; First Edition edition (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060891505
• ISBN-13: 978-0060891503
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

STUART A.P. MURRAY
Author, editor, project editor

Murray is author of more than 40 books. He is a former journalist (reporter and editor) as well as a book editor.

Many of his titles are under the name Stuart Murray, but since there are a number of authors with that name, he has been using his middle initials, A.P., since 2006 or so.

Murray wrote the series Northwest Territory (Berkley), eight historical novels, under the pseudonym Oliver Payne. He also was founding editor of Bantam's Stagecoach series of Westerns, written under the pseudonym Hank Mitchum. He wrote Virginia City, an early title in this long-running series.

Murray is a principal in Lily Book Productions, a book publisher and packager in Red Hook, New York. He can be reached at [e-mail]


AUTHOR'S VITA

Nonfiction:

The Library: An Illustrated History, by Skyhorse Publishing, 2009.

Photographer of Our Nation: Biography of Mathew B. Brady, by Sharpe Publishers, 2009.

Painter of the Revolutionary War: Biography of John Trumbull, by Sharpe Publishers, 2009.

Fact Atlas of World War II, by Hammond and Langenscheidt, 2009.

Atlas of World Religions, by Hammond and Langenscheidt, lead contributing editor and writer, 2008.

Atlas of the United States, by Hammond and Langenscheidt, lead contributing writer 2007.

Witness to the Civil War, revision of the 1895 Leslie's Illustrated History of the Civil War, with new narrative text; by Harper Collins and Smithsonian Institution, 2006.

The American Revolution -- Questions & Answers, family reference; by Harper Collins and Smithsonian Institution, 2006.

A Strong, Collected Spirit, Edward I. Gersh with Stuart A.P. Murray, by Lily Books; Gersh boxing memoir, 2005.

Eyewitness: The Vietnam War, by Dorling Kindersley, a young adult reference, 2005.

Atlas of American Military History, by Facts on File, an illustrated compendium of American military maps 16th-21st centuries; 2004.

Vietnam War Battles and Leaders, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference; Fall 2004.

Eyewitness: Mars, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference, 2004.

American Revolution Battles & Leaders, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference; 2004. Starred review in Booklist.

Civil War Battles & Leaders, by Dorling Kindersley, young adult reference; 2004. Starred review in Booklist.

Daily Life in the United States in the 20th Century, 1940-60 and 1960-1980 (two volumes of a five-volume set), by Greenwood Publishing, young adult reference, 2003.

Encyclopedia of War & Weaponry, by Grolier, young adult reference; 2002.

Eyewitness: The Revolutionary War, by Dorling Kindersley and Smithsonian Institution; young adult reference; 2002. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Book Award 2002; Kansas State Reading Circle 2002; Notable Social Studies Trade Books 2003 (NCSS/CBC joint committee).

Eyewitness: Wild West, by Dorling Kindersley and the Smithsonian Institution; young adult reference; 2001.

The Cornell Steamboat Company, by Purple Mountain Press; the story of a great Hudson Valley passenger boat and tugboat company based in Rondout/Kingston, New York; 2001.

A Time of War, by Berkshire House; Berkshire County, Massachusetts, in the Civil War; 2001.

America's Song: The Story of "Yankee Doodle," 1999, by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont. Third-place winner in the history category of ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year for 1999; Top Ten finalist, music category, Booklist Magazine's Book of the Year, 1999; starred review in Booklist.

Washington's Farewell, 1999, by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont; George Washington's farewell in 1783 to his officers in New York City.

Rudyard Kipling in Vermont, the story of Kipling's four years in Brattleboro, where he wrote the Jungle Books; by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont, 1997. Top-five finalist, Independent Publishers biography Book of the Year in 1997; audio, Books on Tape.

The Honor of Command, General Burgoyne's Saratoga Campaign, by Images from the Past, Bennington, Vt., 1997.

Norman Rockwell at Home in Vermont, 1939-53, Images from the Past, Bennington, Vermont, 1996.

Go for the Goal! youth-soccer coaching, Simon & Schuster, 1994.

Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms," co-authored with James McCabe; Berkshire House, Publishers, 1993; starred review in Booklist, a Literary Guild selection, recommended by Library Journal; reprint rights to Random House: Gramercy Books.

America's Shaker Heritage, Golden Hill Press, 1993, recommended by Library Journal.

History of Hopatcong Borough, by the Hopatcong, New Jersey, Historical Society, 1975.

Fiction:

White Fire, Images from the Past, historical adventure, set in southern Africa; June 2000; Book of the Year finalist, fiction, ForeWord Magazine; 5 stars -- Southern Africa Vacation Book Review.

Judith's Dime Novel, Avalon, 1998; an idealistic young eastern woman on her way by stagecoach to meet her fiancee in San Francisco, discovers that the real Wild West is nothing like the dime novels she loves to read--or is it?

The Land of Gray Wolf, by Thomas Locker; rewrote this illustrated children's book; Dial Press, 1991. ALA Pick of the List.

As Oliver Payne: Northwest Territory Series of eight historical novels by Berkley Books, 1981-87; set in Revolutionary War America. The titles: Warpath; Conquest; Defiance; Rebellion; Conflict; Triumph; Betrayal; Honor

As Hank Mitchum: Virginia City, Western, Bantam, 1982.



Excerpts from reviews of books by Stuart A.P. Murray.

A TIME OF WAR; Berkshire House, 2001

"Murray is a prodigious researcher who uncovers the nitty gritty of what goes on during great events as well as the stories that make the headlines. His organization and brilliant storytelling give you a real feel of what it was like. . . ." The Berkshire Eagle

"A Time of War is a thoroughly engaging book that sheds light on the changing conditions of life on the home front. [It] should interest not only the people of western Massachusetts, but all who are curious about the interactions between the northern home and battle fronts." Civil War Book Review

RUDYARD KIPLING IN VERMONT -- Birthplace of the Jungle Books; Images from the Past, 1997; Top-five Book of the Year finalist, Independent Publisher, biography category.

"[A] masterful job of weaving together Kipling's writing, biographical details, and source material from the time, including newspaper articles, court records, and photographs taken without Kipling's knowledge. Part history, part biography, part literary criticism, this book reads like a novel and remains in the mind. Rudyard Kipling in Vermont: Birthplace of the Jungle Books may well begin a complete reexamination of Kipling's life and work.
Independent Publisher

"Delightful. . . . [The author] tells this bittersweet story with vigor and clarity. . . . A substantive, meaty dish flavored with juicy tidbits."
Boston Book Review

"Good use of Kipling's diaries, his poems, and family illustrations, to produce a fascinating chapter in American literary history and insight into Kipling's life and affairs." The Word (U.K.)

"As much a description of a collision of cultures, with Kipling as protagonist and observer, as it is a personal biography." The Bloomsbury Review

AMERICA'S SONG: The Story of "Yankee Doodle"; 1999, Images from the Past, Bennington, Vt.; Third-place winner, history category, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year 1999; Top Ten finalist in music category for Booklist Magazine's Book of the Year 1999; starred review in Booklist.

"America's Song is perhaps the best small history since John Hershey packed the bombing of Hiroshima into one hundred pages and won a Pulitzer. The two works are similar in that they concentrate on the extremely human side of history. . . . America's Song is an outstanding work in that it is extremely accessible to all that can read with a modicum of interest about our country's past.... [Murray] writes with a lyrical quality at some points, and at others like a fast-paced adventure novelist. ForeWord Magazine

"A Yankee Doodle Dandy: [America's Song] takes the reader through the many reincarnations of the tune -- it was set with new words in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Civil War -- right up to modern times, in which George M. Cohan's 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' is still sung. [This] delightful little book . . . reminds us of the significant, though near-forgotten, contributions of Dutch settlers to American history. America's Song is also full of fun and surprises." Yankee Magazine

"The latest proof that good things come in small packages traces the history of the song 'Yankee Doodle.' . . . Copiously illustrated, the pocketbook-size volume is terrifically entertaining and informative popular history, written with great panache." Booklist; American Library Association.

WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL; Images from the Past, 1999

"[This] compact narrative about Washington's 1783 farewell to his officers in Fraunces Tavern in New York adds excellently to popular literature of the American Revolution. Accessible for a wide range of readers. . . " Booklist

"Murray uses a writer's touch to make history come alive." ForeWord Magazine

WHITE FIRE; Images from the Past, 2000
Finalist for fiction book of the year, 2000, by ForeWord Magazine

"Skillful use of plot and characters; Murray has written another winner." Library Journal

"Murray proves his skill with useful explanations of vernacular phrases and historical background for the 1828 setting. In straightforward language, Murray also keeps an even pace and alternates easily between Dirk's racing adventures and Rachel's descriptions of the family trek." ForeWord

"Author, journalist, and editor Stuart Murray has written a superbly crafted historical novel, capturing the yesteryear feel of 1828 in southern Africa. White Fire is a stirring, very highly recommended, action-adventure oriented historical novel which is enhanced for the readers pleasure with a meticulous attention to accurate detail throughout." Midwest Book Review

"[An] historical . . . novel that will please fans of historical fiction and romances." Booklist

"Murray's portrayal of nobility and honor among each group strikes a chord. His clashes between Zulus and other African tribes, and his interdependent relationships between Boers and native servants, illustrate how the violence of South Africa never was as simple as black versus white. . . . This book becomes a wonderful adventure. . . . Librarians should eagerly add this title to their collections." Today's Librarian

THE HONOR OF COMMAND; Images from the Past, 1997

"A most handsome book [with] the best illustrations I have ever seen for the Saratoga campaign." Vermont History

"Murray possesses a keen eye for detail and a novelist's sense of pace and color. He brings this momentous campaign to life [and] captures the character of the British military leader in all his complexity." Brattleboro, Vermont, Memorial Library

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Insight Into The Civil War, January 7, 2007

By 

David M. Garrett (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Witness to the Civil War: First-Hand Accounts from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (Hardcover)

Witness to the Civil War is the Smithsonian's abridged compilation of the 1895 Frank Leslie's Illustrated History of the Civil War. Few have or could do it better. Rivaled only by Harper's Weekly, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper utilized correspondents (we today refer to as "embedded") to bring news and pictures from "the front" to eager readers, many of whom had husbands, fathers and sons engaged in the conflict. This book gathers the best of this coverage into a single volume, not so much as a comprehensive history but to illustrate and describe the major events.

The book combines contempoary text (in italics) and illustrations with modern observations and color photophrapy, the latter ensuring flow and context. The illustrations appeal both as art and as history, albeit with occasional exageration stemming from the rhetoric of the time and admitted Northern bias. A gallary featuring the likeness and thumbnail biography of forty-two Union officers (pages 104-109) is particulary interesting. The net result is an engrossing collection that adds life to the history as seen through the day's press.

While Frank Leslie and his wife are profiled at the beginning of the book, I was disappointed not to find more detailed information on the specific correspondents and artists who contributed the stories and illustrations in the book. Notwithstanding, the book is nicely presented and would be a great supplement to any Civil War buff's library.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness to the Civil War: First-Hand Accounts from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, February 15, 2007

By 

Patricia A. Clark "Patti" (Concord, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Witness to the Civil War: First-Hand Accounts from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (Hardcover)

This book gives a timelessness to the reality of the Civil War by seeing it through the eyes of the people who were living through it at the time. The illustrations are amazing and easily take you 150 into the past. Any history buff will want to have this book!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witness To The Civil War, January 3, 2007

By 

Gerald L. Ward "Jerry" (Edmonds, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Witness to the Civil War: First-Hand Accounts from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (Hardcover)

The Journalist in every war are underrated because they do not fit the mould of Fighting men. Where would we be without them? Would only the Victors tell the tale of the Battle? History must have the unbiased reports of the Journalist. That is what makes this book valuable to me as a civil war historian.