Intimate Strategies of the Civil War: Military Commanders and Their Wives (Hardcover)

by Carol K. Bleser (Author), Lesley J. Gordon (Author) "By studying in this book the ties between husbands and wives, we hope to be able to look more closely and personally not only at..." (more)
Key Phrases: intimate strategies, emancipation decree, family correspondence, New York, Jefferson Davis, West Point (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In Intimate Strategies of the Civil War: Military Commanders and Their Wives, editors Carol K. Bleser (In Joy and in Sorrow) and Lesley J. Gordon (General George E. Pickett in Life and Legend) present essays on the domestic lives of six Union and six Confederate leaders, by an array of historians. Sarah Gardner looks at Mary Anna Jackson's self-appointed role as style counsel to the reluctant Stonewall; he begged her to stop sending him pants decorated with gold braiding, and shied away from her efforts to make the most of his wartime glory. John F. Marszalek examines the unharmonious relationship between General "Cump" Sherman and Ellen Boyle Sherman, beset by insurmountable, lifelong religious and lifestyle differences after the war. A limited audience of Civil War and pop culture scholars will appreciate this narrow but engaging collection.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Readers are not as likely to recognize the names of Varina Howell Davis and Julia Dent Grant as those of their husbands, Jefferson and Ulysses, but these wives of Civil War leaders also contributed to the war's outcome and to their husbands' careers. Long neglected in traditional military treatments of the conflict, the family life and very different wives of 12 of the Union's and Confederate's most significant leaders are the topic of this fascinating collection of essays. Editors Bleser (emerita, history, Clemson; In Joy and Sorrow: Women, Family, and Marriage in the Victorian South) and Gordon (history, Univ. of Akron; General George E. Pickett) are well qualified to compile and contribute to such a volume. Other respected historians, editors, and biographers provide well-written, thoroughly documented essays to this first volume to provide such an extensive examination of the Civil War commanders' wives. Highly recommended for any academic or public library. Theresa McDevitt, Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195115090
• ISBN-13: 978-0195115093
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #891,336 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational insight into Military Commanders., October 18, 2001

By	Mark Snyder (Akron, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

Lesley Gordon and Carol K. Bleser writes/edits an insightfull perspective into military leaders and their wives, by bring these two issues together, they were able not only to tell you about the Military Commanders but add to the already exisiting sources of information and knowledge. I would recomended this book to anyone with an interest in the American Civil War...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insights re personal lives of Civil War leaders, November 22, 2001

By A Customer

This collection of twelve essays explores the personal lives of prominent Civil War military commanders and their wives. The writers paint vivid pictures of how family life and the war were interwoven. The most striking thing to me is the great variation between the relationships of the various commanders and their wives, all within the Victorian societal structure. I think this book makes great reading for everyone, regardless of a person's interest in history.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very insightful, January 7, 2003

By A Customer

Carol Bleser and Lesley Gordon did a wonderful job with this book,delving into the personal lives of several famous civil war figures, along with black and white photographs of the couples.Some of the marriages in the book include the Shermans, Grants, Lee's, Custer's , Stonewall Jacksons, and many others. With so many figures from the civil war this book gives a wonderful overview of some of the more famous marriages and there family life. With so many figures to choose from I think the authors did a suberb job with the couples they featured. This is a book not to be missed.