The Union Prison at Fort Delaware: A Perfect Hell on Earth (Hardcover)

~ Brian Temple (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Located on Pea Patch Island at the entrance to the Delaware River, Fort Delaware was built to protect Wilmington and Philadelphia in case of an attack by sea. When the Civil War broke out, Fort Delaware's purpose changed dramatically - it became a prisoner of war camp. By the fall of 1863, about 12,000 soldiers, officers, and political prisoners were being held in an area designed to hold only 4,000 - and known as the "Andersonville of the North," a place where terrible sickness and deprivation were a way of life despite the commanding general's efforts to keep the prison clean and the prisoners fed. Many books have been written about the Confederacy's Andersonville and its terrible conditions, but comparatively little has been written about its counterparts in the North. The conditions at Fort Delaware are fully explored, contemplating what life was like for prisoners and guards alike.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (April 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786414804
• ISBN-13: 978-0786414802
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,524,228 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing look at a dark time in our nation's history, November 16, 2006

By	joeytonz (Sam's Town) - See all my reviews

The Union Prison at Fort Delaware: A Perfect Hell on Earth by Brian Temple is one of those books that should be required reading. Author Temple, obviously a history scholar, relates tales and information about the prisoners at Fort Delaware in a genuinely interesting manner. For those of us who have the former prison at Fort Delaware in literally our own backyard, we all can fathom what it was like to be there, but for those halfway across the country, or world, this book is a damn good substitute.