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Testament : A Soldier's Story of the Civil War [BARGAIN PRICE] (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I see a cloud, a little bigger now than a man's hand, gathering in the north, and in the west, and all around, and soon..." (more)
Key Phrases: affectionate son, wire road, raining today, Pea Ridge, Van Dorn, Coles County (more...)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Civil War buffs will relish this extraordinary new history from Bobrick (Wide as the Waters), based on a collection of letters written by his great-grandfather, Benjamin "Webb" Baker. The letters date from 1861, when the 19-year-old enlisted in the Union army, to 1864, when he was honorably discharged a corporal. As a private of Company E of the 25th Regiment of Illinois Voluntary Infantry, Baker saw action at Pea Ridge, Ark.; Perryville, Ken.; Stones River, Tenn.; and Chickamauga, Ga.; and on Sherman's march to Atlanta. Repeatedly wounded, he was patched up and sent back to duty. That he survived the bad food, poor sanitary conditions and ghastly medical treatment (pus was considered a sign of health), let alone wounds sustained during battles that killed thousands, is remarkable. Webb's letters home are honest, affectionate and surprisingly good-natured considering what he endured. "We had a heavy skirmish in the evening....A ball struck John Hawkins square on the belt buckle. It made him grunt....He picked it up & is around every day now bragging that he is bullet proof," he wrote in 1862. Bobrick weaves excerpts of the correspondence throughout the narrative and includes his great-grandfather's letters in their entirety in an appendix to the book. This is a compelling story, rendered in vivid, graceful prose that should find an enthusiastic audience.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The soldier of this valuable book is Bobrick's great-grandfather, Benjamin ("Webb") Baker, of the 25th Illinois. Growing up in rural Charleston, Illinois, Webb enlisted in 1861 and served a full three years. He saw a great deal of action in the western theater, including Pea Ridge, Perryville, Stone's River, Chickamauga, and the Atlanta campaign, as well as a lot of hard marching, short rations, bureaucracy, delayed pay, and officers and comrades who were as menacing as the rebels. He also lost some use of his left arm to wounds, and a brother and a stepbrother to death, but somehow managed not to lose weight, even on army rations. Bobrick weaves excerpts from Baker's expressive letters, most of them addressed to his mother, into his own excellent narrative continuum that conveys Baker's milieu and the progress of the war so clearly that even readers new to the subjects should be engrossed. Complete texts of the letters constitute part two of this worthy, betimes heart-rending addition to the Civil War literature. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 277 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 1, 2003)
ISBN-10: 0743250915
ASIN: B00025G3FO
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,532,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
I see a cloud, a little bigger now than a man's hand, gathering in the north, and in the west, and all around, and soon the whole northern heavens will be lighted up with a fire that you cannot quench." Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
affectionate son, wire road, raining today

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Pea Ridge, Van Dorn, Coles County, Missionary Ridge, West Point, Lookout Mountain, Bull Run, Webb Dear Mother, Stones River, United States, Webb Camp, Bowling Green, Jefferson Davis, Wilson's Creek, Cumberland Gap, Tennessee River, Army of the Cumberland, Henry Beevers, Jefferson City, Kirby Smith, Mexican War, Pittsburg Landing, Elkhorn Tavern, Hutton Township, Kansas-Nebraska Act

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 53 books:

This Hallowed Ground: The Story of the Union Side of the Civil War by Bruce Catton in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Lincoln and His Generals by Thomas Harry Williams in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Three Years in the Army of the Cumberland: The Letters and Diary of Major James A. Connolly (Civil War Centennial Series) by James A. Connolly in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
The Army of the Cumberland (Campaigns of the Civil War (Book Sales)) by Henry M. Cist in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 53 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The American Civil War by Gary Gallagher

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Missouri Roadsides by Bill Earngey

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Yankee Dutchman by Stephen Douglas Engle

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	8% buy Rebel Private: Front and Rear: Memoirs of a Confederate Soldier 4.7 out of 5 stars (17) $11.70

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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Testament is a record of valor, October 7, 2003

By	Robert Busko (Waynesville, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Testament: A Soldier's Story of the Civil War (Hardcover)

Testament: A Soldier's Story of the Civil War by Benson Bobrick is one of the most insightful contributions to the ever growing body of work devoted to this war. There are other first hand accounts of combat and general living conditions faced by soldiers of both sides....far too many to elaborate here. However, there is something touching almost beyond words about the letters young Benjamin "Webb" Baker wrote his mother.

Benson Bobrick does a good job in weaving Webb's (Bobrick's great-grandfather) letters into a coherent narrative about the war. The narrative covers Webb's entire enlistment period from 1861 to his discharge in 1864. Civil War buffs will recognize the battles included: Pea Ridge, Perryville, Stone's River, Chickamauga, and finally the Atlanta victory. Perhaps of equal value are the letters themselves, neatly placed into an appendix at the end of the book...each included in their entirety for the casual reader to pour over and ponder.

Its all here, the descriptions of battle, of camp life, of marching,...insights into the officers that lead these men, and a general view of the times. The letters read true as anyone who has served in the military will recognize. Red tape is red tape no matter the century.

I encourage Civil War buffs to read Testament. If you haven't read much on the Civil War then this is a good book to start with.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Testament: A Soldier's Story of the Civil War, December 27, 2003

By	"seamoose2001" (texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Testament: A Soldier's Story of the Civil War (Hardcover)

Of the many books published on the Civil War, "Testament" rises above the others. From the first chapter on, the reader is transported back in time and place. The uniqueness of presenting this story using the the diary of a soldier is simply spellbinding. The words from this soldier's diary are intricately woven with narrative so descript and vivid one can truly understand all that a war encompasses. The emotion that pours from the pages is overpowering. The soldier's sense of duty and honor countered by his fear of war's consequences is conveyed so realistically, the reader can not help but feel the internal conflict of morality just as he did. Beautifully written and timeless in nature, this book is a must read for civil war buffs - and - for anyone wanting an understanding of the horrors of war.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful letters and look at the everyday soldier, December 23, 2003

By	"kaydeever" (Junction City, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Testament: A Soldier's Story of the Civil War (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the letters in this book thoroughly. It is a marvelous collection that explore everything from the mundane to the horror of battle to the deep feelings for family and country. Bobrick set the stage for the letters well and gave a wonderful account of this man's life. I did think that his history lesson was a little overdone and assumed that readers would know absolutely nothing about the Civil War or the conflicts that led up to it. This took away slightly as I was anxious to get back to the "story" during these lessons. But this does nothing to dim the eloquence of the letters themselves. They are particularly poignant as we have young men and women in harm's way again today. You can't help but draw parallels as you read. This book is truly a Testament.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome presentation of American Civil War
I am a Civil War reenactor and as such am always looking for books on the Civil War period. This book blew me away. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Sharron A. Bortz

3.0 out of 5 stars A Riveting Account by a Union Soldier in the South.
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