William Marvel

In as much as Edwin Stanton is inevitably a controversial figure, I was curious as to learn more about the man and how he handled his war-time role. Well, William Marvel has much more to tell you about Stanton; mostly that every bad thing ever written about Lincoln's Secretary of War was true. This book goes so much for the throat that at a certain point I had to settle back and wonder why I should take such a slash-and-burn examination of Stanton's life seriously. To put it another way this is very much a history of Stanton's political and legal intrigues, which were many, but Marvel really doesn't answer in a satisfactory fashion my main question; was Stanton, for all his faults, an indispensable man? The implication is certainly no, but having learned more about Marvel's own feelings on the general course of the war since I made my initial statements I'm having to further discount this book. In the argument over whether the Civil War, or slavery, was the Great American Tragedy, Marvel is in the first camp and I'm in the second. At the very least this is not going to be the last word on Stanton.… (mais)

During the Civil War, Union prisoners were sent to a number of prisons, including Andersonville. The number of prisoners climbed exponentially and over 13,000 prisoners died. From lack of space, hygiene, medical facilities and food rations it was easier to die than survive. This book provides a fairly balanced account of the prison. It does not gloss over the horrid facts, but it is also quick to point out that Union prisons employed many of the same methods and practices that Andersonville employed. The book provided numerous first-hand stories and accounts, which were fascinating. This book was not dry or boring, but rather very well paced. It kept my attention throughout and provided unique historical details. Overall, highly recommended.… (mais)