Behind the Blue and Gray: The Soldier's Life in the Civil War (Young Reader's Hist- Civil War) - Hardcover

Ray, Delia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525673334 ISBN 13: 9780525673330

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, 1991

Synopsis

Traces, in this second of a three part series, the events of the Civil War from the first battle to the surrender with emphasis on the experiences of the individual soldier.

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Reviews

Grade 7 Up-- This sequel to A Nation Torn: The Story of How the Civil War Began (Lodestar, 1990) is the story of the Civil War as seen from the perspective of common soldiers who served in Union blue and Confederate gray; coverage is from the first shots fired upon Fort Sumter to the long trek home at war's end. Ray is an excellent narrator and has chosen many informative, perceptive personal accounts upon which to base her work. The fears, horrors, boredom, and simple, transitory pleasures of these young men are brought into sharp focus by the many first-person writings. Especially moving is the chapter concerning medical care--primitive at best--and the prisoner of war camps--inhumane at worst. Readers may learn for the first time of the many Native American volunteers; all-black regiments; and the large number of German, Irish, and other foreign-born soldiers who fought in the war. Black-and-white historical photographs and reproductions flesh out this highly readable volume that should whet the appetite of readers and inspire them to delve further into a this period. --David A. Lindsey, Lakewood Junior/Senior High School, WA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A continuation of the ``Young Readers' History of the Civil War,'' begun in A Nation Torn (1990). Here, Ray discusses the soldiers' personal experiences: their early enthusiasm; the conditions they found in the armies on either side; their tempering under war's ordeals; roles played by diverse national groups; the hardships of hospitals and POW camps; the feelings of returning veterans. Ray's writing is vivid, if undistinguished, and aided by memorable photos of the period. Chapter notes would have been useful for tracing the origins of generalizations about the soldiers' feelings, and chronological information might have been better integrated. Nevertheless, an intense portrayal of the military experience, with resonance for today. Bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0525673334
• ISBN 13: 9780525673330
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112