About the book
How did Civil War soldiers endure the brutal and unpredictable existence of army life during the conflict? This question is at the heart of Peter S. Carmichael’s sweeping new study of men at war. Based on close examination of the letters and records left behind by individual soldiers from both the North and the South, Carmichael explores the totality of the Civil War experience — the marching, the fighting, the boredom, the idealism, the exhaustion, the punishments, and the frustrations of being away from families who often faced their own dire circumstances. Carmichael focuses not on what soldiers thought but rather how they thought. In doing so, he reveals how, to the shock of most men, well-established notions of duty or disobedience, morality or immorality, loyalty or disloyalty, and bravery or cowardice were blurred by war.
Digging deeply into his soldiers' writing, Carmichael resists the idea that there was “a common soldier” but looks into their own words to find common threads in soldiers' experiences and ways of understanding what was happening around them. In the end, he argues that a pragmatic philosophy of soldiering emerged, guiding members of the rank and file as they struggled to live with the contradictory elements of their violent and volatile world. Soldiering in the Civil War, as Carmichael argues, was never a state of being but a process of becoming.
Editions of The War for the Common Soldier
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469643090
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469664033
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469643113
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890878793
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469643106
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890878786
Read an Excerpt
How did Civil War soldiers endure the brutal and unpredictable existence of army life during the conflict? This question is at the heart of Peter S. Carmichael’s sweeping new study of men at war. Based on close examination of the letters and records left behind by individual soldiers from both the North and the South, Carmichael explores the totality of the Civil War experience — the marching, the fighting, the boredom, the idealism, the exhaustion, the punishments, and the frustrations of being away from families who often faced their own dire circumstances. Carmichael focuses not on what soldiers thought but rather how they thought. In doing so, he reveals how, to the shock of most men, well-established notions of duty or disobedience, morality or immorality, loyalty or disloyalty, and bravery or cowardice were blurred by war.
Digging deeply into his soldiers' writing, Carmichael resists the idea that there was “a common soldier” but looks into their own words to find common threads in soldiers' experiences and ways of understanding what was happening around them. In the end, he argues that a pragmatic philosophy of soldiering emerged, guiding members of the rank and file as they struggled to live with the contradictory elements of their violent and volatile world. Soldiering in the Civil War, as Carmichael argues, was never a state of being but a process of becoming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The War for the Common Soldier about?
How did Civil War soldiers endure the brutal and unpredictable existence of army life during the conflict? This question is at the heart of Peter S. Carmichael’s sweeping new study of men at war. Based on close examination of the letters and records left behind by individual soldiers from both the North and the South, Carmichael explores the totality of the Civil War experience — the marching, the fighting, the boredom, the idealism, the exhaustion, the punishments, and the frustrations of being away from families who often faced their own dire circumstances. Carmichael focuses not on what soldiers thought but rather how they thought. In doing so, he reveals how, to the shock of most men, well-established notions of duty or disobedience, morality or immorality, loyalty or disloyalty, and bravery or cowardice were blurred by war.
Digging deeply into his soldiers' writing, Carmichael resists the idea that there was “a common soldier” but looks into their own words to find common threads in soldiers' experiences and ways of understanding what was happening around them. In the end, he argues that a pragmatic philosophy of soldiering emerged, guiding members of the rank and file as they struggled to live with the contradictory elements of their violent and volatile world. Soldiering in the Civil War, as Carmichael argues, was never a state of being but a process of becoming.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The War for the Common Soldier?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of The War for the Common Soldier?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469643090
How long is The War for the Common Soldier and how many pages does it have?
The War for the Common Soldier has 408 page(s)
Is The War for the Common Soldier part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Littlefield History of the Civil War Era
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The War for the Common Soldier?
Peter S. Carmichael
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The War for the Common Soldier is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469643090) and paperback(ISBN 9781469664033) and ebook(ISBN 9781469643113) and ebook(ISBN 9798890878793) and ebook(ISBN 9781469643106) and pdf(ISBN 9798890878786)
Where can I buy The War for the Common Soldier online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The War for the Common Soldier from below
Where can I buy The War for the Common Soldier?