The Last Battleground

The Civil War Comes to North Carolina

By Philip Gerard | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

About the book

To understand the long march of events in North Carolina from secession to surrender is to understand the entire Civil War — a personal war waged by Confederates and Unionists, free blacks and the enslaved, farm women and plantation belles, Cherokees and mountaineers, conscripts and volunteers, gentleman officers and poor privates. In the state’s complex loyalties, its sprawling and diverse geography, and its dual role as a home front and a battlefield, North Carolina embodies the essence of the whole epic struggle in all its terrible glory.

Philip Gerard presents this dramatic convergence of events through the stories of the individuals who endured them — reporting the war as if it were happening in the present rather than with settled hindsight — to capture the dreadful suspense of lives caught up in a conflict whose ending had not yet been written. As Gerard reveals, whatever the grand political causes for war, whatever great battles decided its outcome, and however abstract it might seem to readers a century and a half later, the war was always personal.

Editions of The Last Battleground

Hardcover
ISBN 9781469649566
Paperback
ISBN 9781469666112
EBook
ISBN 9798890853141
EBook
ISBN 9781469649580
EBook
ISBN 9798890853158
EBook
ISBN 9781469649573

Read an Excerpt

To understand the long march of events in North Carolina from secession to surrender is to understand the entire Civil War — a personal war waged by Confederates and Unionists, free blacks and the enslaved, farm women and plantation belles, Cherokees and mountaineers, conscripts and volunteers, gentleman officers and poor privates. In the state’s complex loyalties, its sprawling and diverse geography, and its dual role as a home front and a battlefield, North Carolina embodies the essence of the whole epic struggle in all its terrible glory.

Philip Gerard presents this dramatic convergence of events through the stories of the individuals who endured them — reporting the war as if it were happening in the present rather than with settled hindsight — to capture the dreadful suspense of lives caught up in a conflict whose ending had not yet been written. As Gerard reveals, whatever the grand political causes for war, whatever great battles decided its outcome, and however abstract it might seem to readers a century and a half later, the war was always personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Last Battleground about?

To understand the long march of events in North Carolina from secession to surrender is to understand the entire Civil War — a personal war waged by Confederates and Unionists, free blacks and the enslaved, farm women and plantation belles, Cherokees and mountaineers, conscripts and volunteers, gentleman officers and poor privates. In the state’s complex loyalties, its sprawling and diverse geography, and its dual role as a home front and a battlefield, North Carolina embodies the essence of the whole epic struggle in all its terrible glory.

Philip Gerard presents this dramatic convergence of events through the stories of the individuals who endured them — reporting the war as if it were happening in the present rather than with settled hindsight — to capture the dreadful suspense of lives caught up in a conflict whose ending had not yet been written. As Gerard reveals, whatever the grand political causes for war, whatever great battles decided its outcome, and however abstract it might seem to readers a century and a half later, the war was always personal.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Last Battleground?

History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas

Where can I read a sample of The Last Battleground?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469649566

How long is The Last Battleground and how many pages does it have?

The Last Battleground has 376 page(s)

Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Last Battleground?

Philip Gerard

Who is the Publisher of the book The Last Battleground?

The University of North Carolina Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

The Last Battleground is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469649566) and paperback(ISBN 9781469666112) and ebook(ISBN 9798890853141) and ebook(ISBN 9781469649580) and ebook(ISBN 9798890853158) and ebook(ISBN 9781469649573)

Where can I buy The Last Battleground online or support local independent bookshops?

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Where can I buy The Last Battleground?