Hard Tack and Coffee (Paperback)

~ John D. Billings (Author)
Key Phrases: third corps, drank from the same canteen, mess kettles, Army of the Potomac, United States, General Meade (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Originally published in 1888, this first-person account of everyday life for the foot soldier during the Civil War became an immediate bestseller. 8 cassettes. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Digital Scanning (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582186286
• ISBN-13: 978-1582186283
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #554,849 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly readable view of Life in the Union Army., June 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Hard Tack and Coffee (Hardcover)

Josh Billings served with the 10th Mass Battery of Light Artillery during the Civil War. After having written the Official "History of the 10th Mass Battery" he responded to numerous requests to write a book about daily life in the Union Army. "Hardtack and Coffee" is an unpretentious, humorous look at life in the Union Army, Particularly the Light Artillery During the Civil War. Mr. Billings paints a vivid picture of living life under canvas, in the field. He addresses such topics as Army food, The day by Bugle calls, Beats (people who "avoided work"), punishments and more. This book is not a comedy, but is written with a light and readable style that makes it interesting to the average reader, as well as to those interested in the Civil War. this book is a must read for all readers of Civil War literature.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and fascinatingly informative work, November 12, 2002

By	Rebecca M. Deaver (Memphis, TN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hard Tack and Coffee (Audio Cassette)

This is a very genuine and accurate account of a subject that has always fascinated me. It is written by the person who would know the material best--a genuine Civil War soldier--in excruciating detail and a suprisingly lively, colorful style for a book of nonfiction, not the stuffy, pompous style of encyclopedias. It contains well-articulated, balanced, open-mided opinions that are probably as unbiased as is possible for someone so close to the source.

Be aware, though, that this book contains only the personal experiences of the author, and is thus a source of information only about the Union, not the Confederacy. Still, it is an extremely informative book that reads almost like a novel, and I highly recommend it to any intellectual who is curious about conditions for the common soldiers in the American Civil War.