We Look Like Men of War (Hardcover)

by William R. Forstchen (Author) "I was born a slave, as was my father before me, but I shall die a free man..." (more)
Key Phrases: own trenches, other brigade, colored regiments, Colonel Russell, Massa Washburn, Sergeant Felton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Like Tom Willard's Black Sabre Chronicles, this based-in-fact narrative recounts the longoverlooked contributions of African American military personnel. Using the Civil War as his venue, Forstchen chronicles the experiences of Sam Washburn, a former slave who returns south to fearlessly fight for freedom. Sam, a member of a "colored regiment," provides firsthand accounts of several pivotal battle campaigns from the unique perspective of a black man in the predominantly white Union army. Though merely a drummer boy, young Sam manages to play a key role in the disastrous Battle of the Crater. Action and adventure abound in this heartfelt tribute to the heroism of black soldiers during the Civil War. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
From the bestselling author of The Lost Regiment series comes a factually based narrative of the black military experience in the Civil War.

We Look Like Men of War

"I was born a slave, as was my father before me, but I shall die a free man...."

Thus begins the poignant story of Samuel Washburn, born a slave in 1850. A young master's cruelty leads to an unforeseen confrontation, which forces Sam and his cousin to flee the plantation. They run north to freedom, only to return south to fight for the greater cause.

Though still a boy, Sam becomes a regimental drummer with a "colored regiment" and sees action in the Wilderness campaign at Fredericksburg and Petersburg, as well as at the bloody Battle of the Crater in July of 1864.

Sam's voice offers a unique and insightful perspective on the carnage of the War Between the States and the toll it took on both young and old, black and white.


See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (December 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765301148
• ISBN-13: 978-0765301147
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,241,245 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating!, November 19, 2001

By	J. Mina (N. Ft. Myers, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had the pleasure of obtaining a review copy of this book and simply could not put it down. "We Look Like Men of War," works os so many different levels and that is what I found so fascinating. It stares as a simple, almost gentle tale, but then inexorably builds to the climax, the Battle of the Crater, one of the most tragic battles of the Civil War. Forstchen has managed to avoid so many of the stereotypes that are out there when it comes to fiction about the Civil War, and especially fiction related to slavery, race relations, and the deployment of black troops with the Union Army. I understand that this work is actually based on research he did while working on his doctoral dissertation, and the research in so many fine nuances and details that are slipped into the story. I, as a reader, got a glimpse of what it was really like, not just for African-Americans soldiers but for any soldier who fought in our nation's greatest struggle. This would make an excellent textbook for teachers wanting their students to learn about slaves and free men who served in the United States Colored Troops.
Anyone intetrested in American History, Black History, or just wants a great, stimulating book should give this one a try.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, March 6, 2002

By A Customer

This is a wonderful book that I have really enjoyed reading. Though it is the kind of book that can really only be read once, that one time is killer! It is really hard to put down and is a great read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Understanding History, February 9, 2002

By	Norman L. Roberts (Davis, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This is just a fantastic history book for it describes the plight, the actions, and the feelings of the black soldiers in the civil war, not merely a recitation of dates, places and unit designations. History is made up of people. Too often the study of "history" is boring--memory stuff--but this book tells of the history of that time, place and people the way it should be told, through the eyes, brain and body of a person who could well have been there.
One can not be too enthusiastic about the book and the talent of its author. I hope more historians learn to write history the way he does. I hope he and other historians are able to teach the subject in the same way--fantastically interesting stories by people who could be there.