Customer Reviews:
Andersonville.......2007-08-25
Purchased as a gift. Couldn't find at regular book stores but Amazon came through for us.
Unforgettable.......2007-03-08
I have read this book several times and each time I am more rewarded by it. Yes, it is long but not boring. The images of the horror of the camp (and the Union also had its own horror camps) will stay with the reader for a long time, if not forever. The execution of Wirz was a travesty of justice since he was not the creator of the horror but was the only one that was easy to target. In essence, he was a scapegoat.
Today, Wirz would be given a Medal of Freedom for incompetence. But he was given no food, no supplies (the Confederacy didn't have those in abundance; however, the north did and that did not stop them from torturing and starving its prisoners) and was dealt more prisoners than Andersonville could hold.
Kantor has done a wonderful job of bringing to life this camp and should remind us of the responsibilities of those in charge of prisoners of war. Especially today with the US resorting to totalitarian practices of torture, murder and suspension of rights.
A brilliant read.
Well Worth The Effort..........2006-12-29
Andersonville is one of those books that takes a tremendous amount of effort to read. But those willing to expend the effort will be rewarded handsomely.
Not only does the Hardcover version clock in at nearly 800 pages but Kantor doesn't use any quotation marks to denote conversation. Couple that with the liberal use of mid to late 1800's provincial English, then you'll get an understanding why each page in this book is a challenge. But once you begin to catch on to Kantor's rhythm you will find yourself devouring each page like the delectable gumbo of a story it is.
Though the storyline is essentially linear - it begins when the land is being scouted as a potential site for a new prison and ends after the last prisoner is gone - there are many many detours along the way. There are a handful of people that remain part of the story from the beginning, but the bulk of the book is about the lives of the prisoners and how the infamous Andersonville impacted their lives. And it's in this myriad of stories where the book really comes alive. Kantor does a wonderful job in helping the reader to understand the history and motivations of the characters and in developing a deeper understanding why some succumbed to the horrors of Andersonville and others survived.
And for those who may choose not to read this because they aren't interested in prison stories or civil war era stories, know that Andersonville is as much a story of the prison as it is a story about the lives of the prisoners and the guards, the impact the prison had in it's neighbors and the horrors and moral quandaries of war.
If you enjoy stories that present a handful of seemingly unrelated puzzle pieces that when assembled together reveal a fascinating, intricate and beautiful piece of art, then you will find Andersonville completely gratifying. And, if on top of that, you enjoy civil war era historical fiction then this book is not be missed - no matter what effort it takes to read.
Huge and Intense, Slow-Moving but Rewarding.......2006-02-23
Don't be misled by the cannon on the cover of the 1993 Plume cover, Andersonville has nothing to do with a Civil War battle. It is the story of a prison camp in Georgia, and the intersecting lives of Rebel and Yankee who found themselves involved in a horrific situation during our country's toughest years. It is a very long book, and is far from a page-turner, so before you make the time commitment consider the following.
There is no hero in this story, only participants in disaster. The author forfeits any continuity in favor of a lurking uncertainty by constantly switching viewpoints and introducing new characters, while removing old ones without hesitation. Some men died at Camp Sumter, some didn't, but either way the author gives us time to get to know many of them, and thus their experiences at Andersonville are given richer meaning. It is not ordinarily good writing to 'kill off' so many sympathetic characters, but of course this book wants to layer the pathos on thick. This can make for slow and sometimes discouraging reading, never allowing the reader to get too close to any individual character. Only Ira Claffey, a fictional landowner near the camp, even resembles a protagonist, and his losses remain the most personal in the novel.
Despite all that, the glimpses into the past cover a huge slice of humanity as it existed in the mid 1800s. Kantor explores every dimension of prison society; Rebel and Yankee, urban thug or rustic clod, prisoner or guard or hopeless surgeon. His research is impecable, and the writing is varied and subtle. The common thread through it all is the camp itself, and how it threatened to destroy everyone who came in contact with it. In contrast, there are moments- most of them near the end of the novel- where I had to choke back tears and laugh aloud almost simultaneously. So it isn't entirely depressing, either, and the glimmers of human charity and decency become even more poignant from the contrast.
This reader's final estimation is that the time taken to read Andersonville was well spent, but not necessarily enjoyed. There is less beauty than tragedy in this novel, and the author's undeniable success in bringing Camp Sumter to life has the dubious value of making reading about it distastful. I certainly don't recommend this as light reading, but strongly encourage interested readers to have some patience and digest this book slowly to fully appreciate the statement about our nation, her people and her history.
Images so vivid that they will stay with you forever.......2005-09-03
I think this must have been one of my father's books, but somehow it found its way into my library where it sat on the self for years before I read it. My feelings are mixed about it- I am glad I read it, but I don't think I will read it again. Like previous reviewers, I found the writing style ponderous and the length just a little too long. It would have been a better book if the author edited a couple hundred pages out. Nevertheless, I am glad that I read it.
The images of the prison camp- the sewage filled creek, the squalor and the filth in which these prisoners lived, the gangs of thugs who preyed on the weakened soldiers and the constant fear of inflection in which these poor people lived has stayed with me twenty years after reading it. No, it is not great literature, but the author was successful in that he wrote a book that touches the reader with images so vivid that they will stay with him forever.
Average customer rating:
- The Tale Of A Soldier
- A Powerful Story of the Civil War
- Outstanding Civil War Novel
- A REMINDER OF THE NOBLE BENT OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT
- The Perfect Marriage of Fiction and History
|
A Soldier's Book
Joanna Higgins
Manufacturer: Permanent Press (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Andersonville: The Last Depot (Civil War America)
-
Death of a Salesman (Penguin Plays)
ASIN: 1579620094 |
Amazon.com
Ira Cahill Stevens, a Union soldier captured in battle, takes you on a shocking, unnerving tour of life in Andersonville, the infamous Confederate prison. We follow Ira and his comrades from their ride in a packed train car to the hopes, dreams, delirium, and degradation of life in a stinking, disease-ridden enclosure where hundreds of men die daily and are stacked by the gate. The greatest possible hope is to be traded back to the Union in exchange for Confederate prisoners, but the likelihood is slim. A more probable fate for the men is death from starvation, disease, or even from their own countrymen: raiders who sweep through the camps at night stealing what little the others still own. In a place like Andersonville, even acts of mercy are nightmarish:
One surgeon tells the prisoner to lie on the floor. Another puts chloroform against his nose. The third surgeon, an old fellow, kneels alongside the man and in one quick move, severs flesh and arteries, then commences sawing the bone above the elbow.... They pour whiskey into him and then it's my turn.
Throughout the terror, Ira and his comrades try to maintain a sense of family, sharing their limited provisions, reading to one another from two now-priceless books that they managed to retain, and nursing one another through compounded illnesses for which the only medicine is persimmons-berry tea or bartered quinine. Joanna Higgins's excellent research makes this tale both a stunning fiction and a realistic historical account of the country's darkest war and the hell that was Andersonville.
Book Description
In the spring of 1864 all prisoner-of-war exchanges between the North and the South had been halted. For captured soldiers, being condemned to the increasingly overcrowded prison camps was tantamount to a death sentence. A Soldier's Book opens as Ira Cahill Stevens, a young Union soldier, is on his way to the notorious Andersonville prison camp. Day by day, Ira shares the horrific details of a world that is growing ever more barbaric and absurd, with its "dead lines," starvation, cruelty, filth, and false rumors of exchange. Yet even in the face of terror and despair, Ira retains hope, and with the help of an impromptu family of fellow soldiers, he struggles to survive, only to witness each friend picked off by death or insanity. A powerful and historically accurate novel, A Soldier's Book leaves the reader not only with a richer sense of the Civil War but of the resiliency of the human spirit.
Customer Reviews:
The Tale Of A Soldier.......2004-01-13
The Novel A Soldier's Book by Joanna Higgins is a great book for kids, history buffs, war buff, and any other reader. it is an intriging tale of a young union soldier who gets captured during the battle of the wilderness. he is forced to make tuff decisions that must keep him and his friend gus alive. the daily battles he faces just to maintain are a constant reminder of his pain that he has to over come.
A Powerful Story of the Civil War.......2003-05-27
A Soldier's Book was a powerful and exciting story about the Civil War. It really depicted what it was like, following Ira Cahill Stevens, a fictionial character, through real like senarios. I love how it really told the story through the eyes of the Soldier's, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a novel about war.
Outstanding Civil War Novel.......2002-10-10
I've read quite a few Civil War novels, and this is one of the best. It gives us a good look at what it was like to be stuck in what was probably the worst of the Civil War prison camps (and they were all horrible), and to start losing touch with reality.
I found myself wanting to help the main character out of his terrible predicament. This is one of those books you just can't put down, and one that you don't want to end. She's got a great story to tell, and her writing style is outstanding.
This is one of the best novels I've read in years.
A REMINDER OF THE NOBLE BENT OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT.......2001-03-06
Drawing from the daily journal of a Union prisoner of war, Joanna Higgins has crafted a spare, intense, incredibly moving debut novel, a Civil War drama in which historically accurate details bring fictional characters to resonant life.
It is not amiss to equate her offering with the quintessential record of those experiences, Andersonville by MacKinlay Kantor for Ms. Higgins exhibits an estimable command of research, as well as a munificent gift for lyrical elegiac prose.
Scenes of prison camp life are heart-bruising as seen through the eyes of men struggling to survive in a morass of death and disease. "...there are eleven thousand of us in this pen of about twenty acres. And four of those swamp." Plagued by vermin, lack of sanitation, self-administered medical care, raiders (comrades who steal their scant possessions for barter) and the cruelty of guards, many captives soon die, even beg to be shot.
Yet, in spite of intolerable conditions there is a thread of hope - not Emily Dickinson's hope, "the thing with feathers," but the hope of those pushed beyond their physical and emotional limits: "The burn and pulsing of it. That is hope doing its work."
A young Union soldier and former apothecary's apprentice, Ira Cahill Stevens, is taken prisoner in 1864, during the time when passionate arguments have brought prisoner exchanges to a standstill. Thus, prison camps have become intolerably overcrowded and tantamount to a death sentence, abysmal sties where soldiers switch allegiance for food and clothing.
Incarcerated with only his "Soldier's Book for Leisure Moments," a small handbook "intended for the young Christian soldier going forth `in deference of his country,'" his father's pen, a silver spoon, and needle and thread, Ira is aghast and sickened, tenuously clinging to the prospect of a prisoner exchange.
Ira's sustenance is found in his ever present book, "...the only thing that helps me fall asleep," and his comrades. For guidance the young soldier looks to an older man, Gus, a preacher, who kneels to say his daily prayers then pats the ground and falls asleep. When Ira grows ill, Gus reads to him from the Bible. Ira hears "...words that don't mean a thing but the sound of `em nice."
Gus's counterpoint is Marinus, an incorrigible cynic, who relishes the sound of his own words. There is also Louie with his "ferrety laugh" who tries to tunnel to freedom, and Willy, "...skinny but with a little boy's plumped up face yet. Hair so red it makes his skin pink. Jug ears."
Eventually Ira is moved to a military prison in Florence, South Carolina, where he becomes a paroled prisoner volunteer in the hospital overseen by a compassionate Dr. Strother. Ira comes to hold the medic in such esteem that he vows not to try to escape, "...my word of honor that I will not violate my parole by going beyond one-half mile from the hospital limits."
But when he is sent into surrounding woods to forage for berries, he walks on "pine needles and mossy stone. I kneel down and claim it all for the Union." He is tempted to flee in the dense fog but returns to confinement, realizing, "Loyalty, it seems, is a prison strong as any."
Ultimately, that is the message of A Soldier's Book - choices. No matter how desperate the situation there are choices. As Ira increasingly opts for the humane when surrounded by inhumanity, he evolves into moral manhood. And this affecting volume becomes not only a harrowing reminder of the brutality we visit upon one another, but a memorable paean to the noble bent of the human spirit.
The Perfect Marriage of Fiction and History.......2000-08-02
This is a beautifully written book. The rare case of a historical novel where the importance of the characters does not get overshadowed by massive information dumps. History and story are elegantly intertwined. The writing puts you in the grim reality of Andersonville and shows how faith will fight to survive amid the horrors of war. One of the best novels of the year. Can't wait for Higgin's next one.
Customer Reviews:
Red Cap by G. Clifton Wisler.......2006-07-07
I liked this book because I like Civil War stories. I felt like a was watching a movie when I was reading it. I think other kids will like this book too.
Young Boy Becomes a Prisoner of War.......2006-04-24
Red Cap is one of Ransom J. Powell nicknames the other one is RJ. He lives in Frostburg, Maryland. He signs up for the Union army as a drummer boy. While he was in the army he sees a big battle. The battle makes him have more respect for the men fighting. He is taken as a Prisoner of War during a raid, and taken to prison. He is taken to two prisons and the last one was the worst, and that is the one he stays at the longest. At the camp many people died. Will Red Cap die or live; you will read this book and find out what happens.
I would recommend this book to war story lovers or and people that like action and adventure in their book.
I liked every thing about this book besides the ending it was ok. The end was kind of hard to follow, but you might not think so.
Not Bad.......2005-07-08
This book was on my Summer Reading List. I read it 1st because it looked small. It's about a boy who joins the Union Army as a drummer boy and eventually gets captured and brought to Andersonville. It was based on a true story so that's a plus. He makes and loses a lot of friends including Confederate soldiers. In the end, all of his friends die but he lives out of the kindness of a Confederate regiment stationed just outside of the camp. He was only 13 when he as captured. There is a lot of Southern slang even used by the prisoners. I recommend any person to read this book who is interested in the Civil War.
a great book!!!.......2005-04-05
Ransom J. Powell joins the Union army at age 13 as a drummer boy. While escorting a supply column, his regiment was captured by the Confederate army and taken to a prison in Andersonville, Georgia called Camp Sumter. While at the prison, he got the nickname Red Cap. Red Cap made the terrible times at Camp Sumter more bearable for every one there.
I liked all the details in this book. The author described everything very well. I could visualize everything.
I also liked reading this book because spent less time on boring things and more time on interesting things.
The only bad part of this book was that there was a lot of sadness.
Overall I would give this book 4 stars.
Great History Novel!.......2005-03-02
I personally loved "Red Cap." If you're reading this for school, you (or your teacher) picked a good choice! I even wrote a basic summary of the book (if you're writing a book report or something and you just can't think of what to write!). You can thank me later. ;)
This is a story about a young Yankee drummer, Ransom J. Powell that left his home because all of his friends were signing up for the army. Ransom wasn't allowed by his parents to become a drummer in the army because of his lack of height, and because he was too young. He left home without telling his family to become one of the Union Army's drummers. He said that he was 15 when he was really only 13, and he was very short, so some people had suspicions. He didn't think or know that war would be the terrible, horror occurrence that it is.
Ransom's home is in Frostburg, Maryland. Mostly, the book takes place in Georgia, Virginia, and Maryland. Ransom traveled to Piedmont, on the Maryland-Virginia border to sign up for the Union Army. This story took place in 1862; during the civil war period. Later in the story, Ransom is captured in a side battle (known now as the Battle of Moorefield Junction in January of 1864) and is shipped by train into Libby Prison camp, Andersonville from Richmond. The most important historical people mentioned in the book are Ransom Powell (Red Cap), Lewis Jones, and Captain Wirz.
One of the 2 most important conflicts in the novel is the fighting against the rebs. The rebs constantly attacked the Union Army when the Union Army traveled through (Winchester) Virginia, and on the steep, rocky soil of Droop Mountain. They even killed Ransom's friend Danny, who was also a drummer, and at age 14, lied about his age. Ransom was very upset about this and had a hard time overcoming his friends' death.
Another important conflict was at Andersonville. Ransom was against the nature, his shelter, and the fatigue that his body suffered. To him, it was like a nightmare; he was starving, not clothed well, and the guards abused him. There were also mosquitoes and deadly blood-thirsty centipedes, which only added to the problem-Ransom felt terrible all the time.
The most important decision in this novel is when Ransom decides to leave his home, like his friends, to join the Union Army, at only age 13 and barely over 4 and a half feet tall. Even though his friends were killed in the war, he wanted to go too, to prove himself. He left at night when his parents were sleeping to head for Piedmont.
The novel ended when the Union Army wanted to trade naval prisoners. Ransom lied and said he was one and was sent back home. Ransom also was given money-close to a hundred and twenty dollars-for his fighting in war and every day he was in Libby Prison. There weren't any unresolved issues-Ransom was happy because soon he was going to be sent home. Ransom was shipped back by a fourth-class carriage that traveled to Cumberland, Maryland so he could go see his family. He departed from Hank, his friend, at the end of the story and wished him the best of luck.
Book Description
John Ransom, Brigade Quartermaster of the Ninth Michigan Calvary, was only 20 years old when he became a prisoner of war in eastern Tennessee in 1863. He had everything to live for, and much to live with.
A war was on, and he was in it, and things were happening that seemed worth putting down from day to day. The result is a straightforward diary, free of the embroideries and purple passages of many an author of the time.
"One of the best first-hand accounts to come down to us from the Civil War, uncommonly rich in the love of life...a tale of adventure, of suspense, of fierce hate and great love. " --Bruce Catton
Customer Reviews:
A true diary.......2007-07-14
When I was encouraged to read this book I saw it as a bore. However, upon embarking on this read, I could hardly put it down. I was intrigued on a major level. I've been to the old prison site three times and this book really sets you up to visualize the prison the way it was. The prison is all sad, however I was very disturbed by the way the north treated the fellow who was in charge of the prison during it prime. This was unmitigated revenge and spite.
A positive spirit, despite the horror.......2005-08-03
Ransom was a member of the Ninth Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War when, in Nov. 1963, he was captured in eastern Tennessee; he spent the next year a prisoner in a number of Southern prison camps, most notably Andersonville. He was finally able to escape and make his way back to Union lines. What distinguishes this book is Ransom's humor in the face of such adversity: "July 26 - Ain't dead yet. Actually laugh at the Rebel who thought if I wasn't dead I had better get inside. Had an onion." He writes of the hardships, mainly hunger and disease, but also makes it clear that the prisoners, because of poor self-discipline and low morals (stealing from one another was rampant) made their bad lot even worse. Prisoner exchanges, once frequent early in the war, were just about suspended by this time, thanks to U.S. Grant's belief that they helped the South more than the North. At one point Ransom writes that about 130 prisoners a day were dying in camp, mostly from disease. An interesting book, lively and always in celebration of the living, at least in spirit.
Civil War atrocity.......2004-03-23
When one considers that John Ransom, at the time of his interment at Andersonville, was not a professional writer, and that much of his recounting of his horrible experiences was censored, this diary is compelling, gritty, gruesome, and all too credible. This unblinking look at a part of Civil War history that is often overlooked, captured my attention as few diaries have. (The diary of Anne Frank, of course, being the most engaging and heart-rending of the genre.)
The stories of mistreatment of the Union soldiers abound--by other Union soldiers as well as the Confederates! But no scourge was more frightful than the natural ones: the weather, insects, and contaminants were just as unfeeling and effective in their decimation of the prison population. This is not a diary for the weak-hearted. The constant tales of humiliation, hunger, and brutality, along with the growing list of Ransom's associates who were dying all around him, are incessant. Just when things get to their grimmest, the reader is treated to the suspense of Ransom's breakout and escape, which you have to read to believe. Whether you are a devotee of Civil War stories or not, John Ransom's "Andersonville Diary/Life Inside the Civil War's Most Infamous Prison" is a fabulous story of toughing it out in the worst of situations, and a thorough examination of one of the Civil War's darkest times and places.
Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points.
Excellent diary, ABOMINABLE edition! Stay away!.......2003-09-08
John Ransom's own words could not be more moving, nor his character more sterling. Five stars for his work! However, ZERO stars for the publisher here. The "intro" by Bruce Catton is not even three full pages long, and lacks...well, nearly everything an intro should have.
There are no maps. There are few illustrations, apparently only reproductions of those included in Ransom's own publication after the war. There are no footnotes nor timeline. There is no index of names (genealogists beware!!!) nor of anything else, and there was no attempt to provide us with more detail on the individuals named other than Ransom's own contemporary concluding notes. There is nothing to tell us if Ransom ever returned to the South to "make millionaires" of the black slaves who helped him, as he had hoped. There is no death and discharge roll even for his own company, much less a larger view. There is no concluding note to reflect that Andersonville has become a national park, nor a word re its current state of preservation.
Shame, shame, shame on Catton and Berkley Books. Ransom's heroic work deserves much better, as does the memory of the tens of thousands of men (and at least two women, see the entry for December 23, 1863) who suffered and, in horrifying numbers, died at Andersonville. When a worthy edition comes out, buy it -- I surely will. Meanwhile, don't spend your money on this inferior edition of a great Civil War memoir.
WOW.......2003-02-12
This book was one of the first books I read about the Civil War. I could not put the thing down! It is not only a true story about the Andersonville Prison, but also a heck of a story showing courage and will! I recommend this book HEAVILY! A MUST READ
Book Description
Between February 1864 and April 1865, 41,000 Union prisoners of war were taken to the stockade at Anderson Station, Georgia, where nearly 13,000 of them died. Most contemporary accounts placed the blame for the tragedy squarely on the shoulders of the Confederates who administered the prison or on a conspiracy of higher-ranking officials.
In this carefully researched and compelling revisionist account, William Marvel provides a comprehensive history of Andersonville Prison and conditions within it. Based on reliable primary sources—including diaries, Union and Confederate government documents, and letters—rather than exaggerated postwar recollections and such well-known but spurious 'diaries' as that of John Ransom, Marvel's analysis exonerates camp commandant Henry Wirz and others from charges that they deliberately exterminated prisoners, a crime for which Wirz was executed after the war.
According to Marvel, virulent disease and severe shortages of vegetables, medical supplies, and other necessities combined to create a crisis beyond Wirz's control. He also argues that the tragedy was aggravated by the Union decision to suspend prisoner exchanges, which meant that many men who might have returned home were instead left to sicken and die in captivity.
Customer Reviews:
...smells like negationism... .......2007-07-04
In buying the book I dismissed the one negative review by "mightyhob". My mistake. After reading Andersonville I have to agree with him. Does the author really expect anyone to believe Wirz is a good guy because he once let a prisoner pick up a knife he dropped or a couple of other so-called acts of kindness? Or because clerics and ladies found him "courteous and accommodating". He even captions one photo as "...the judge advocate who railroaded Henry Wirz". Hardly objective, especially in the absence of anything to support it. He devotes only 4 pages to the trial, calling witness testimony exaggerated, imaginative or pure invention and referring to Wirz as deprived. I would think that if you're attempting to revise history, you need to make a better argument than the lame one put forth here. Too bad. The details of life in this prison made for some interesting reading at times.
SUFFERING AT ANDERSONVILLE.......2005-08-26
I ONCE SAW A DOCUMENTARY ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL CALLED HORROR ATANDERSONVILLE PRISON THE TRIAL OF HENRY WIRZ.IT ANGERED ME SO MUCH THAT I CONVINCED MY MOTHER TO BY ME A COPY OF THE BOOK FROM YOUR FINE WEBSITE. IT ALLOWED ME TO SEE HOW MUCH THOSE MEN SUFFERED THEY WERE TREATED LIKE CATTLE.BUT AT LEAST YOU FEED CATTLE . THEY WERE TREATED HORRIBLY .AND PEOPLE IN PRISON HAVE THE NERVE TO COMPLAIN THAT THEY ARE BEING TREATED BADLY THEY OUGHT BE LUCKY THAT THEY ARE NOT TREATED LIKE THE SOLIDERS AT ANDERSONVILLE WERE.
Objective? Unbiased? Am I missing something here?.......2004-01-19
In this piece of revisionist history the author seems determined to exonerate Henry Wirz as largely a victim of circumstances. I do not think that this book is biased in favor of the Confederacy, only biased in favor of disproving the traditional view of Andersonville. To me, the bottom line on Andersonville is that, despite an abundance of trees in the vicinity, the prisoners were provided no shelter nor were permitted to build their own. Perhaps the accounts of Wirz's cruelty were exagerated, but he was in charge of the camp, and, at a minimum, was criminally negligent. As the author states, almost 13,000 men, a third of those interned at Andersonville, died there. This was more than twice the average death rate at other prison camps, North and South. Wirz was responsible for the welfare of these men, and I found the author's excuses for his failure unconvincing.
This "comprehensive" account is only 249 pages long, with only four pages devoted to Wirz's trial, the issue of most interest to contemporary readers. Marvel never mentions all of the members of the military tribunal or the substantial body of official correspondence, from Confederate government sources, critical of conditions at and the administration of Andersonville, that was submitted as evidence during the trial.
For a far more believable account of Wirz's trial, I suggest you read the article on the Wirz trial written by John H. Stibbs, a member of the military tribunal that tried Wirz. You can find it in "A Perfect Picture of Hell" by Ted Genoways & Hugh H. Genoways. If Stibbs' account is inaccurate, I would like to understand in what way that is the case. By the way, Stibbs is never mentioned in Marvel's book.
A lasting tribute to the nearly 13,000 men who died there........2002-07-18
In Andersonville: The Last Depot, William Marvel gives the serious student of Civil War history a balanced and highly accurate account of what transpired during those fourteen awful months between Feb. 1864 and Apr. 1865. The events of Capt. Henry Wirz's trial and execution are also covered in detail and for the first time we begin to get a glimpse of who the real man was. While the book is filled with many historical facts about the prison itself, Mr. Marvel does not neglect the human side of Andersonville. Through thorough and meticulous research, Mr. Marvel acquaints the reader with men like Thomas "Chickamauga" Herburt, George "Albert", Salvador "Thomas" Genzardi as well as many others. How important is this historical work? In July 2002, I traveled to Andersonville spending two days walking the stockade grounds and those of the national cemetery. This book served as my guide.
Excellent -- dispels a lot of myths.......1999-06-13
I found this book an excellent read. My sole sources about Andersonville prior to it were Mackinlay Kantor's captivating novel "Andersonville", The 1970 PBS powerful drama "The Andersonville Trial, A Play by Saul Levitt" - directed by George C. Scott, the brief and not really well researched references to it in the PBS special "The Civil War" by Ric Burns and the rather one-sided TNT moltion picture "Andersonville". Prior to reading this book I had been particularily touched by "The Andersonville Trial". The acting was very well done (William Shanter, fresh from Star Trek cancellation portrayed the "hero" of the play -- Colonel Chipman") and the purpose of that play, in my opinion, was to try and make Andersonville appear as a percursor of the Nazi Death camps and Captain Wirz a percursor of the guards and commandants who "only followed orders" in those places. However after I read Mr. Marvel's well researched account of this most infamous prison I am convinced that Captain Wirz was more a victim of circumstance and Colonel Chipman's vengence rather than some cruel monster of a man who had lost his soul to General Winder as portrayed by Mr. Levitt. Indeed, perhaps, I would suggest that maybe Mr. Levitt, if he still lives, should read this work and perhaps, consider a rewrite of his play keeping faitful to facts this time rather than using have baked anecdotes of dubios origin -- or if he isn't, maybe someone ought to try and revise it. In any event, and to conclude, I heartily agree with James McPherson, well known author of "The Battle Cry of Freedom" that this is " . . . the best account of the tragedy of Andersonville that we have or are likely to have."
Customer Reviews:
Review from Atlanta Constitution.......2006-12-04
'Ghosts' offers new insights into Andersonville
By Kenneth H. Thomas Jr.
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/26/06
Robert Scott Davis, noted historian and genealogist of numerous works on Georgia history, is the author of "Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville: Essays on the Secret Social Histories of America's Deadliest Prison."
The story of the Civil War prison in South Georgia's Sumter County is well-known. In this new work, Davis sheds light on many aspects of the Andersonville prison that were either muddled or overlooked by previous writers, with special emphasis on the histories and biographies of many people associated with the prison.
In one chapter, Davis discusses the various escapes from the prison, how they are documented and who actually did escape. He devotes another chapter to the photographer Andrew J. Riddle and his life and association with the prison. He discusses the women who are recorded there. Included are many stories, a selected bibliography, appendices, and detailed footnotes.
Davis shows that just when you think everything has been written on a subject, a really determined, expert researcher can always find something more. This book is a must for all Civil War and Georgia history collections.
A balanced scrutiny of a dark place in America's past.......2006-11-05
Historian Robert S. Davis presents Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville: Essays on the Secret Social Histories of America's Deadliest Prison, an in-depth scrutiny that openly dispels commonly held misperceptions about the so-called "American Death Camp" of the Confederate prison of Andersonville, and the trial of its most famous figure, Captain Henry Wirz. Focusing keenly on the lives of Americans connected to Andersonville prison before and during the Civil War, Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville does not minimize or excuse the starvation, mistreatment, and fatalities of the prison but simultaneously counters accusations of deliberate extermination with evidence that the prison also served as a hospital, and that the guards suffered from malnutrition and starvation as surely as the prisoners. A balanced scrutiny of a dark place in America's past, that draws heavily and directly from letters, journals, articles and other primary sources to present its case.
Book Description
Set during the turbulent years of the American Civil War, Echoes of Andersonville is the compelling story of Andy Parker, a young patriotic boy from Rhode Island who runs away from home to join the Union Army in 1861. During the Army of the Potomac's fierce struggle with the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, he is captured and sent to Andersonville, the South's most notorious prison camp. The history of America's most tragic period comes alive for young readers as the incredible saga behind one of the Civil War's little known facts is revealed through a courageous young soldier's extraordinary survival experience.
Customer Reviews:
Good War Story With a Surprise Twist.......2002-05-16
I really liked this story because I enjoy the Civil War very much. Unlike some other books I've read that don't portray the very real face of the war, this book pulls no punches when describing combat and the horrors of the battlefield. It describes Civil War combat as the awful experience it really was, shocking, gory and sad.I didn't know anything about Civil War prisons and had never even heard of Andersonville and all the men that died there. This book was very informative and provided lots of factual information to support the storyline, which made it even more interesting. I like authors who know what they are talking about and Mr. Dean is a re-enactor! I really learned alot of history while still enjoying the interesting plot. Andy, Josh and Parson John are all believable characters that seemed so real. Even though it's fiction, it's obvious that this actually could have happened. What sets this book apart from others I've read is the key element of faith that runs throughout it. Even though it's full of plenty of death and sorrow, and portrays the Civil War as it really was, it presents a spiritual dimension that is often overlooked. But it's not preachy or contrived. No matter what age you are, if you love the Civil War, you will probably like this book. It's easy to read and hard to put down once you've started. Parents can feel good about it because there is no bad language or suggestive material to offend young readers. I will recommend Echoes of Andersonville to all my friends who like good war stories. I think this would be a terrific movie!
Echoes Of Andersonville.......2001-07-13
This is a very engaging book that is a pleasure to read. Quite frankly I had a had time putting it down. The story of how our Lord used the horrors of Andersonville to lead men from both the Blue and the Grey to Christ is wonderful and uplifting. Additionally, for those interested in history, the author appears to have a firm grasp of the events and historical conditions of that era.
A Book Full of Meaning, Hope and Love........2000-06-26
Echoes of Andersonville is a beautiful portrait of the Civil War. It's about two young boys so different, yet so similiar. Andrew Parker is fifteen years of age and an Union soldier. He has no faith in Christ or God. He cannot understand how his friend can belive so strongly in the Lord and Christ. Then, there is Joshua Smith, whom is a prison guard in Andersonville Prison and sixteen years old. Andersonville was one of the most horrid and nightmarish prisons of the South for Union soldiers. Joshua is cruel, and full of a burning hatred that was set within his soul. He,like Andrew, does not believe in Christ nor God. Joshua's own fellow guards even fear him. Andrew Parker is then taken as a prisoner of war to Andersonville Prison, where the boy meets a man named John Brady, nicknamed Parson John. Parson John has a strong belief in Christ and God. He has such a powerful faith in the Lord, a faith that is so undeniable. Parson John's faith changes both the darkness of Joshua's and Andrew's futures from dark to light with his beautiful and strong faith in the Lord. At the very same time, this novel tells of an unforgettable story. A story of two young boys that are in the very midst of an era and place that would forever scar American history. Echoes of Andersonville brings you into Andersonville prison without stepping a foot out of your home. It's a story full of meaning, hope and love. For this story shows that no matter one's age or physical strength, one can conquer and live thru every obstacle that blocks them and that one can do this by having three things hope, faith and the most powerful force of all...love. Echoes of Andersonville deserves a place of honor not only here, but in the Kingdom of the Lord.
Book Description
During the Civil War, James Madison Page was a prisoner in different places in the South. Seven months of that time was spent at Andersonville. While there he became well acquainted with Major Wirz, or Captain Wirz, as he then ranked.
Page takes the stand that Captain Wirz was unjustly held responsible for the hardship and mortality of Andersonville. It was his belief that the Federal authorities must share the blame for these things with the Confederate, since they well knew the inability of the Confederates to meet the reasonable wants of their prisoners of war, as they lacked a supply for their own needs, and since the Federal authorities failed to exercise a humane policy in the exchange of those captured in battle. This reprint edition is a facsimile of the original “As Published in 1908”
“ The attempt by an ex-prisoner who was very accommodating toward Confederate captors to rebut other accounts of Wirz. Vehement, detailed, sometimes convincing.” Nevins, Allen. "Civil War Books: A Critical Bibliography. Vol. 1. Baton Rouge: LSU Press 1970. Pg.199
Customer Reviews:
What really happen?.......2005-09-24
I gave this book a 5-star rating only because I have to take into account the writer's opinion at the time. I agree that the trial of Henry Wirz was deplorable, however, the writer's account of his stay at Andersonville is questionable. Perhaps he was one of the "chosen few" that did receive special treatment. This I am assured of based on his writings alone. I liked this book because it gave a different perspective of life as a POW in the Civil War. I would highly recommend you read the book but would also recommend you read "Sarah Morgan: The Civil War Diary of a Southern Woman", along with "Mary Chestnutt". There are quite a few discrepancies as to how the Northern prisoners were treated. After reading this book and those mentioned, it leaves us to draw our own conclusions as to fact or fiction.
A Union Officer's Heroic Defense of a Confederate Major.......2001-09-01
Lt. James Madison Page was captured by Confederate forces in 1863 and eventually was shipped to Andersonville Prison. There he observed Major Henry Wirz firsthand as well as life in this famous Confederate prison for Union prisoners of war. After the war, Major Wirz was tried by military tribunal, found guilty of "war crimes" and hanged. Forty years later, in 1908, Page wrote his memoir to tell "the true story of Andersonville," which was quite different from the popular view, namely, that Wirz and those in his command were deliberately cruel to their captives. Page explains how the prison was designed to hold, at most, 10,000 prisoners at any one time, and then only temporarily while awaiting prisoner exchange. When the exchange was stopped, the prison population quickly swelled to 30,000 prisoners, overwhelming the South's ability to feed, clothe and house the Andersonville prisoners. Although the North advanced many self-serving reasons for stopping the exchange, the real truth was later admitted by Ulysses S Grant in his memoirs, i.e., that the Union POWs were expendable, and that exchanging them for Rebel soldiers would prolong the war by reinforcing the Confederate army. This was a legitimate and understandable strategy of war, one that undoubtedly brought the war to a faster close. In 1865, however, it would have been political suicide to tell the truth to grieving families, that their sons and husbands and fathers were not exchanged because they were considered expendable. The story as Page saw it, was that Wirz was made a scapegoat to appease the wrath of the Northern people over the Andersonville dead (13,000 POWs died out of 45,000 prisoners due to disease and diet).
Page tells how many Northern myths about Andersonville simply aren't true, e.g., that the Confederate guards would get a 30 day furlough as a reward for shooting a prisoner, or that the reason the prisoner exchange between North and South was stopped was because of the North's protest against the South's refusal to exchange black Union POWs -- the truth was that blacks were a miniscule number of Union POWs and the exchange was stopped before there were any black POWs.
Page describes the trial and the accusations against Wirz, and refutes them convincingly. The trial, as described by Page who was there, was a sham. The prosecution could call any witnesses it wanted, but the defense could only call witnesses approved in advance by the prosecution! The prosecution's key witness was a perjurer who claimed to be former Union POW "Felix de la Baume," but was actually a deserter from the 7th NY infantry named Felix Oeser who was paid off for his false testimony with a job in the Dept of the Interior. Oeser had never even been to Andersonville.
James Madison Page's book closely jives with Confederate sources, like the memoir of Confederate guards and officers, who say the same things. Page ends his narrative with "I am just as committed to the preservation of the Union today as I was in 1861, but after forty years we can at least afford to tell the truth." This book wasn't popular in 1908 nor will it be popular in 2001 with those who don't want to hear it.
The True Story of Andersonville Prison.......2001-04-11
James Madison Page was my husband's great grandfather and we own a copy of the original edition. Mr. Page went on to be a Montana pioneer and surveyor. The book was very controversial when it was published, but to his dying day Mr. page stood by what he had written. It is quite a contrast to the generally accepted view of Andersonville Prison. Possibly, the prison conditions were not uniform at all times or in all places of the prison. The rather antiquated, but clear, prose alone is reason to read the book and get a taste of the past.
The True Story of Andersonville Prison.......2000-01-19
This book was written by a union soldier from a Michigan unit, as the subtitle indicates. He wrote this as a "Defense of Major Henry Wirz." Unlike many of the books written about incarceration in southern POW camps, this soldier was rather positive in terms of the treatment he received by Confederate soldiers during his inprisonment at Belle Isle and Andersonville. He had several personal interviews with Major Wirz, the Commandant of Andersonville prison, petitioning for better conditions for his fellow prisoners. He claims that the Major was as gracious to his requests as the limited supplies of the Confederacy would allow, considering the Union blockade of all supplies including medical. He also includes some information in what appears to be transcripts and letters relevant to Major Wirtz's trial that led to his hanging, which are quite revealing in terms of Secretary of War Stanton's, vendetta against Jefferson Davis and other prominant leaders of the defeated South.
Books:
- Antonin Artaud: Selected Writings
- ART OF POCAHONTAS, THE
- Between God and Man
- Black Boy (The Restored Text Established by The Library of America) (Perennial Classics)
- Calculus: Early Transcendentals
- Camera Assistant, The: A Complete Professional Handbook
- Cash: The Autobiography
- Cinema for French Conversation: Le Cinema en Cours de Francais, Second Edition
- Complete Mage: A Player's Guide to All Things Arcane (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
- Creating Romantic Purses: Patterns & Instructions for Unique Handbags
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Global Challenges: An Approach to Environmental, Political, and Economic Problems
- Beautiful Stuff: Learning with Found Materials
- The Scully Files - A Young Couple's Blueprint for Managing Money
- Unseen Danger: A Tragedy of People, Government, and the Centralia Mine Fire
- Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison
- Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth
- A Season in the Desert: Making Time Holy
- Enzo Paci Papers On Measuring The Economic Significance Of Tourism
- Unix in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference for System V & Solaris 2.0
- Hoover's Handbook of American Business 1998
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (Arbor House Library of Contemporary Americana)
A Bell for Adano
The Edge of Sadness (The Loyola Classics Series)
A Death in the Family
