Gone With The Wind - Winner, Novel, 1937

Gone With The Wind

By: Margaret Mitchell

Macmillan, 1936

I don't know what else to say except that I LOVED Gone With the Wind. Earlier this year I purchased a copy for $5 at an antique store and am so glad that I will have it to reread again in the future. As a student of history, Mitchell's descriptions of life in the Deep South before, during and after the Civil War drew me in. So often the victor determines the story of a war, and so I found a long and detailed story from the side of the losers to be quite interesting. The Civil War and Reconstruction were so complicated that it helps to read about them through the lens of a story. I was often so caught up in the story of it all that I would completely forget that I was also learning about an important part of the history of our country from a perspective that I only knew about superficially. Clearly, Gone With the Wind is fiction and much must be taken with a grain of salt, but Margaret Mitchell spent tireless months checking her facts and so it is safe to say that one can at least derive a general sense of what the era was like for those living in and around Atlanta (based on knowledge from the 1930s).

I was a bit unsure when I began reading the book because I did not enjoy the movie. But, as I began to read, I realized that there are so many things in the book that just couldn't have made it into the movie that help the reader understand the characters and their drama much more fully. For example, throughout the book there are many things that go on internally for Scarlett that could not be portrayed in the movie format but made her a fully dimensional character in the book. There are many emotions that are felt and not expressed that I imagine the filmmakers truly struggled with. I do plan on watching the movie again, from my new perspective this time. I do recommend Gone With the Wind - especially to those who have not lived in the South. Regardless of ones opinions of the South and its attitudes during that era, at least one can learn to appreciate the time, place, and culture they were coming from.

[Photo Credit: Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara]

The People's Choice - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1934

The People's Choice
By: Herbert Agar
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1933

Herbert Agar's The People's Choice really took me by surprise. I haven't had the best experiences with the politically oriented non-fiction Pulitzer winners, but Agar's book really drew me in.

His point in the book is that the first twenty-nine presidents of the United States, from George Washington to Warren Harding, can be divided into three eras. He claims that the first six presidents, from Washington to J.Q. Adams, were not democratic at all - they created an oligarchy, or rule by the wealthy. Not only were each of these men of the upper class, but Agar thinks that each also felt that only the upper classes were fit to rule.

The election of Andrew Jackson issued in the next era of actual democratic rule. For the most part the presidents from Jackson to Lincoln (Agar also included Jefferson Davis) came from the lower or middle classes and worked their way up to the presidency from nothing. This represents a time of expansion and growth in actual rule of the people.

The third era that Agar identifies began during the years of discouragement after the Civil War and continued until the election of William McKinley. He characterizes it as a plutocracy, where the wealthy tended to have more political power and social mobility was limited.

While Agar's view of American history might be a little dated, it did cause me to consider the presidencies of these men different way. He also provides a really useful summary of the administrations and issues of each of our presidents until after the first World War. Agar lived until 1980 and I would be interested to see if, in his later works, he continued his evaluation of the trends in the American presidency.

The Store - Winner, Novel, 1933

The Store
By: T.S. Stribling
Doubleday, 1932

I couldn't do it. I tried and tried to finish The Store and I just couldn't. I realized about halfway through that I just didn't care at all what happened to Colonel Miltiades Vaiden and his fellow citizens of Florence, Alabama. I know I should have persevered, but I just felt like I was wasting valuable time. Please don't judge me - this is the first Pulitzer Prize winner in the Fiction category that I have not finished. I promise I will try not to make it too much of a habit.

I discovered, after reading a good chunk of the book, that The Store is actually the second book in a trilogy by Stribling about the Vaiden family in the post-Reconstruction South. That in itself explained some of the problem I was having connecting with the characters - they had been developed in a previous volume and, therefore, Stribling felt we could skip the preliminaries that might have given me some sort of attachment. I was just so disappointed because when I started the book I had such high hopes for something different in the Pulitzer winners for fiction. This book was clearly no love story. It addresses issues that were prevalent in the South in the decades after the Civil War. What place did the former slave have in society? Where were ruined plantation owners to turn for employment when they could not function without slaves? How would the South rise up above the ruins after the War and Reconstruction? Who would be their voice in government? These issues are vaguely touched on, but mostly the story focus on things that I found to be insignificant and petty. I also did not enjoy the story enough to be willing to put up with the excessive (though culturally common at the time) use of the "N" word and derogatory comments about freed slaves. I won't rail any longer. I simply did not enjoy this book.

John Hay - From Poetry to Politics - Winner, Biography, 1934

John Hay - From Poetry to Politics

By: Tyler Dennett

Dodd, Mead & Company, 1933

John Hay is another of those political figures (that I often run into in my readings of the Pulitzer winners) whose name was familiar to me, but I couldn't remember exactly what it was that he was known for. I remembered mentions of his name in the biographies of Theodore Roosevelt and Walt Whitman plus a few mentions in different NPR programs I had listened to. So, I had a general idea of when he was involved in politics but nothing else. Tyler Dennett's biography of Hay proved surprisingly interesting reading for a political biography (or, heaven forbid, I'm just getting used to the endless talk of this policy and that).

Hay worked in political administrations in various capacities from Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt. From Illinois, Hay came to Washington, DC as a secretary with Lincoln and his entourage. He followed this by stints as military representative and ambassador in various places in Europe, but the position that he is best known for was Secretary of State. While you may not be familiar with his name, issues that you might be familiar with that Hay played a key role in were the Open Door Policy with China, negotiations concerning the United States' building of the Panama Canal, negotiations concerning the Alaskan border with Canada, and many treaties with foreign nations as the United States emerged as a world power.

I'm not sure who I could say would be interested in reading this biography, but I could recommend it for anyone interested in the history of the rise in power of the United States in the world, as Hay was instrumental in this transition time.

A History of the United States - Winner, Non-fiction, 1926

A History of the United States
By: Edward Channing
Macmillan, 1905 - v.1
Macmillan, 1908 - v.2
Macmillan, 1912 - v.3
Macmillan, 1917 - v.4
Macmillan, 1921 - v.5

As you can tell, I have taken a step back to an earlier work than the ones I have been reading recently. Edward Channing wrote the six volumes of A History of the United States between the years 1905 and 1925 (I have only listed volumes 1-5 because I am going to be honest - I only read volumes 1-5). Had Channing not been such an interesting and succinct writer, there is no way I would have made it through as many volumes as I did. As I began the first volume, though, I realized that this was going to be a great "summary" of American history that would help me to tie all of the pieces together. I love American history and was a history major in college, but I have never really experienced a good summary of the events in the United States from as far back as we have record up to the end of the Civil War.

This work is not easy reading in that it is a huge reading commitment, but I would say that it is written in an easily understood manner. This would be a good book for anyone who is REALLY interested in American history, but I think it would be even more appropriate for someone who did not grow up in the United States (but who does have a good understanding of the English language). It provides a truly useful overview for those who can persevere to the end.

The Significance of Sections in American History - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1933

The Significance of Sections in American History
By: Frederick J. Turner
Henry Holt & Co., 1932

The Significance of Sections in American History is a collection of essays written by Frederick J. Turner concerning just that - the significance of different sections of the country on the history of the United States. It seems that Turner is trying to convince his audience that there are more sections in America than just North and South, but it appears that the only other sections he could name were East and West. While I found this philosophical work to be tedious and nothing new, there are some interesting things about it. First, it is a collection of works that Turner wrote between 1895 and 1926. I am guessing that the essays were put together in book form in 1932, several years after the last was written, because this was the year in which Turner died. This seems to explain why his ideas feel dated (for the 1930s) - they were probably current or even new when originally written. The other thing that I found interesting was the fact that the Pulitzer was awarded to him posthumously. Posthumous awards always grab my attention because I wonder if there is really a point since the author is not there to see their work being honored. I guess one could argue that it is better than no recognition at all (especially for surviving family members). Just my thoughts on the matter...

Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage - Winner, Biography, 1933

Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage
By: Allan Nevins
Dodd Mead, 1932

"Tell the truth."

-Grover Cleveland, 1884

When I picked up this book I had no idea what to expect. I'm embarrassed to say that the only thing I knew about Grover Cleveland was that he was our president (and I had a vague image in my mind of a large guy with a bushy mustache). That's it! I didn't know when he was president (accept that it was when pictures would have been in black and white) or anything about what he did during his presidency or that he was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. So, my thinking was that if I didn't know anything about him it meant that we didn't study him much in all of my history classes over the years which means he probably didn't do anything that exciting which means this book will be BO-RING. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case.


Several things drew me into the story of Grover Cleveland. To begin with, I would not have been drawn in if it hadn't been for the excellent story telling of Allan Nevins. I have read many biographies of political figures and found them to be monotonous and dull. He managed to make Cleveland's political life just as interesting to me as his personal life (a great feat in itself!).


Another thing that helped me to enjoy this book is that it takes place in a time in history that I really enjoy learning about. This was a time in American history when political corruption was rampant and actually accepted as the way things were done. These were the days of bosses and political machines, like Tammany Hall, who controlled the political leanings of large portions of the population of several of our urban centers. Cleveland entered politics at a time when Americans were becoming weary of the corruption. They sought an honest man who simply wanted to do what was best for the people. Cleveland advanced rapidly through the political ranks because he was not only an upright man, but he had the courage (hence the book's subtitle, A Study in Courage) to put a stop to as many of the corrupting influences in government as he could. This aspect of Cleveland's career is what Nevins chooses to focus on and I found it very refreshing. It is not often that we see a politician who is willing to not only stand up and say, "We will not do things this way anymore!" but also to actually put that into action.


For those interested in biographies of politicians or leaders, this is a great read, and there is probably a lesson or two to be learned in our own political environment today.

The Good Earth - Winner, Novel, 1932

The Good Earth

By: Pearl S. Buck

John Day, 1931

The Good Earth provided nice change in the genre of fiction for Pulitzer Prize winners. The vast majority of the novels I have read so far, from this time period, are stories about American women (usually wealthy), their families, and the drama they go through over a lifetime. Pearl S. Buck's book is instead about a Chinese farmer, his family, and the drama they go through in a lifetime. While this plot line is vaguely similar to those I mentioned before, we at least have a glimpse in a culture that many are not very familiar with.

After reading this book, I began thinking about the plot construction in novels from the 1920's and 1930's, how they are all VERY similar, and how they differ from the novels written today. From my observations, the best comparison I can make is the difference between maneuvering within a movie on a VHS tape and watching a movie on DVD. The stories from the earlier part of the last century often take the reader through the life of a central character. To move forward, the author still writes about every part of the character's life, but some parts move more quickly than others - like watching a movie on a VHS tape and fast-forwarding. You still see everything happen, just faster. On the other hand, it seems that authors today write about a period in the main characters life and then feel free to just jump ahead - like skipping forward on a DVD. You don't see things that happen in between. I'm not sure if I like the older or newer ways better - with the older authors you really get to know a character through all of its life experiences, important or mundane. But, these can get tedious. On the other hand, the newer authors develop their characters at the important times in their lives, so you see them at their very best and their very worst. Hm. Just a thought. Thanks for letting me ramble. What do you think? Does anybody out there see the same trends that I do?

(The image above was taken by Diego de Pol and is used here under Creative Commons license)

My Experiences in the World War - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1932

My Experiences in the World War

By: General John J. Pershing

Frederick A. Stokes, 1931

As far as war histories go, and those of you who are regular readers of my blog probably know I really dislike war histories, this one, I must admit, was bearable. General John J. Pershing led the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and earned the highest rank ever awarded by the army during the life of the individual - General of the Armies. Pershing kept a detailed diary of his days as commander of the American forces in World War I, and he structures this book around that diary. Each section of the book begins with an excerpt from his diary, followed by elaboration on the events mentioned in that excerpt.

This book provided great first-hand detail of a war that the United States joined belatedly and was sorely unprepared for. Pershing points out many issues that the American military faced - including lack of training and supplies and power struggles between Allied leaders over who would control American troops in Europe. Something that did excite me while reading was Pershing's interaction with two Americans in Europe that I have already read Pulitzer-prize winning books on - Admiral William Sowden Sims (The Victory at Sea, winner in 1921) and Ambassador Walter H. Page (The Life & Letters of Walter H. Page, winner in 1923 & The Training of an American: The Early Life & Letters of Walter H. Page, winner in 1929). It was very interesting to see what I learned previously from another perspective.

Years of Grace - Winner, Novel, 1931

Years of Grace
By: Margaret Ayers Barnes
Hougton Mifflin Co., 1930

I have no witty or intelligent comments to begin this one with, so I'll just jump right into it. Years of Grace is the story of the life of Jane Ward, a young girl in the beginning who grows up in the Victorian Age and spends her latter years in the Jazz Age. Interesting, the book is divided into four sections: the first three are named for the man she loves at that time in her life and the last is named for her children and follows their love interests.

I won't go into the many details of Jane's life, but I believe I can summarize the story. Jane spends her early years ahead of her time. She is growing up in the Victorian Age with some very Jazz Age ideas. While the women of her mother's generation spend their time keeping up appearances of propriety while often living secret lives, Jane has very strong feelings that women should be free to make the choices that will make them happy - even if those choices are against what is considered socially acceptable. Then, Jane goes off to school, comes home, marries, has children, and eventually has her own secret life. As the Jazz Age replaces the Victorian Age, Jane's ideas begin their reversal. She sees her own children (especially her daughters) growing to be quite modern but with many of the same ideas Jane had as a young woman. On the other hand, Jane begins to think much more like her own mother did and values propriety as she never had before.

The point that Margaret Ayers Barnes is trying to make is, as in the words of King Solomon, "There is nothing new under the sun." Times may change, but, apparently, people do not.

The Road - Winner, Fiction, 2007

The Road
By: Cormac McCarthy
Alfred A. Knopf, 2006

When I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Road, I really knew nothing about it. My friend, RC, read the book and provided a great summary, but I decided to put off reading what he had to say until after I read (or listened to) the book. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but The Road was NOT what I was expecting. If you don't want to know what the story is before you read the book (or watch the upcoming movie) skip to my last paragraph.

The Road is the story of a man and his son who are living in a post-apocalyptic world that is inhospitable and often quite dangerous. We never find out exactly what has happened and are not even sure exactly where the man and the boy are headed. But, that is not the story. The story is one of survival and of the love between a father and son.

I can't say that I enjoyed this book, necessarily, because that would seem a bit morbid. But, the story captivated me. I wanted to know where they came from and where they were going. I will say that I enjoyed listening to the story as opposed to reading it. I would recommend reading this book - especially if you plan on seeing the film adaptation that will be released this year.

Theodore Roosevelt: A Biography - Winner, Biography, 1932

Theodore Roosevelt: A Biography

By: Henry F. Pringle

Harcourt Brace, 1931

I have to start out by saying that I have always been interested in the life of Theodore Roosevelt and was thrilled to learn that I would be reading not one but two biographies of our 26th president (winners in 1932 & 1980). Theodore Roosevelt was president during the early years of my favorite time in United States history - post-Civil War through World War II. I couldn't wait to start learning more about this raucous character.

On reading Pringle's biography of Roosevelt, I found myself a bit disappointed. True, this is a detailed biography of Roosevelt's life, but it is almost purely a political biography. My mom recently read Morris's The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (winner, 1980) and told me brief stories of his love life an more. These episodes barely earned mention in Pringle's book. Instead, he turned his focus on every political move made by Roosevelt in his life (and there were PLENTY).

Pringle clearly respects Roosevelt, but you definitely do not come away with any warm feelings for the man. I might have had unreasonable expectations to start with, so I am glad to have the opportunity to read another perspective later and will hopefully learn about other sides of this multi-faceted man.

The Coming Of the War of 1914 - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1931

The Coming of the War of 1914
By: Bernadotte E. Schmitt
Scribner, 1930

I really don't have much to say about this book. I have mentioned before that I really struggle with the books that concern the history of warfare. I don't mind learning about what regular people did during the war, but you've lost me as soon as you start talking about battle tactics or political events leading to war - especially a world war that involves many different political entities. Bernadotte Schmitt is clearly an expert on the events that led up to World War I and he spends two volumes discussing those events (and placing the blame on Germany). Not a single human interest story! It is ALL politics. I would be interested to hear the opinion of a war buff or historian who could tell better than I if he was on point or not. Any of those out there???

The Old Man and the Sea - Winner, Fiction, 1953

The Old Man and The Sea
By: Ernest Hemingway
Scribner & Sons, 1952

Well, I'm back in the saddle again. As you can tell, I've skipped ahead to 1953 for this book. My husband and I had a short car ride and decided it would be a good time to listen to a book on CD if we could find one that was short enough and it turns out that Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea is only three hours on CD. The review that encouraged me to read this book early can be found on Rebecca Reads.

I found this novella to be sad but interesting as well. Almost the entire story takes place at night and we listened to it driving at night, so I think that really helped me to picture the events in my mind. Usually I hold back on too many detail of a story so that I don't ruin it for those who haven't read it, but I think most have read The Old Man and the Sea at some point in their lives. So, I will go into a little more detail than usual.

Hemingway's book is the story of an old man who used to be a master fisherman but is losing his luck in his later years. Everyone remembers the glory of his past but feels sorry for him because he doesn't catch much anymore. The old man is aware of their pity and is determined to bring in the Big One to prove his time is not up. His chance comes one evening when his bait is taken by the biggest marlin this man has ever seen. He spends several days and nights pulling the giant fish in in such a way that it won't break his line or upset his boat. Finally, he is able to get the fish close enough that he can kill it and strap it to the side of his boat for the ride home (it is too big to put in the boat). Sadly, as he makes his way home sharks smell the blood of the marlin and repeatedly attack the boat, eventually taking all of the meat, leaving only the skeleton. The old man is distraught with feelings of failure after expending so much time and effort. The one redeeming fact is that there is still a skeleton on the side of his boat that everyone sees when he arrives home. They know he still has his fishing skills, but the irony is that their pity for him only increases.

This story pulls me in two different directions. On one hand, it seems that Hemingway is demonstrating the futility of life - the old man works so hard and has nothing to show for it but pity in the end. On the other hand, the spirit and determination of the old man that refuses to give up is such and encouragement. If you have never read The Old Man and the Sea it is definitely a must read.

The image above, although it is a political cartoon, is a good illustration of the book. It can be found in the Edmund Valtman collection on the Library of Congress website (The Old Man and the Sea, 1972Published in The Hartford Times, October 31, 1972Ink on duotone paperPrints & Photographs Division (8)LC-USZ62-130426).

Charles W. Eliot - Winner, Biography, 1931

Charles W. Eliot

By: Henry James

Houghton Mifflin, 1930

NOTE**This will probably be my last entry until after Christmas. There is just too much going on! I will continue reading over the break, and I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas!**

Now, to the matter at hand - Charles W. Eliot. Eliot was the youngest man to ever be appointed president of Harvard, at age 35, and remained in that office for 40 years. From his earliest days in the position Eliot worked diligently to completely overhaul the structure of the nation's oldest university. He moved Harvard forward from its focus on classical training to more rounded training that would include the sciences - a change vital for education in the Industrial Age and for keeping up with education offered in Europe.

James's biography, in two volumes, is well written and interesting to read. While it might be a bit long-winded, James does not spend vast amounts of time discussing technical items or deep philosophical themes. This makes the book a relatively easy (though not quick) read for even those who are unfamiliar with educational reform in the late-Nineteenth century. I'm not sure that I can really pinpoint exactly who might like to read this book. Perhaps someone who is studying the history of educational reform, especially higher education? Or maybe a die-hard Harvard alum?

Laughing Boy - Winner, Fiction, 1930

Laughing Boy
By: Oliver LaFarge
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1929

Laughing Boy is the story of the clash of Navajo and American societies in the early 1900s. The title character, Laughing Boy, marries Slim Girl, a young orphaned Navajo who was sent to American schools as a child. LaFarge explores the deep love that Laughing Boy has for the Navajo way and the bitterness that Slim Girl experiences as a result of her time spent in the American school where she was forced to take on the American ways and forget her own. Slim Girl seeks revenge on the Americans by marrying a Navajo, but ultimately finds a link to her people that she never expected.

While I often struggled with the flowery language used to describe Navajo society, mythology, rituals, and even everyday living, I was interested to read a story that is different from any Pulitzer winners I have read to date. Having lived as a child in New Mexico and spending time there most summers of my life since, I was able to visualize LaFarge's descriptions of the outpost towns, landscape, and Navajo dwellings and art. I know I would have never read this book on my own and I'm not sure that I will read it again, but it did expose me to some unfamiliar Navajo ideas and traditions which always make a reading worthwhile.

The War of Independence - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1930

The War of Independence
By: Claude H. Van Tyne
Houghton, 1929

I do apologize for the delay in this post, but this book was such a BEATING that it took me a month to get through it. OK, so I'm being a little dramatic, but it was rough. I think part of the problem is that it is volume 2 of Van Tyne's series, The Founding of the American Republic. It became a series when Van Tyne began writing and realized that he could fit it all into one volume, but only the second volume won the Pulitzer. Because he is in the middle of the story, I didn't feel like I fully understood where he was picking up. He also does not write a chronological narrative but focuses more on topical subjects, so I lost interest quickly. The Pulitzer was awarded posthumously, which I find interesting, but that is about it.

I did continue on with my reading while finishing this one, so I will have a post for Laughing Boy within the next couple of days!

The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston: Winner, Biography - 1930

The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston

By: Marquis James

1929, The Bobbs-Merrill Company

Being a Texan and one whose family has lived in Texas for generations (since before it was a state) I was SUPER excited about reading Marquis James's The Raven. I know that Texans can be annoying about their home state, but if you are from there you understand the deep pride we have in our state's history. I will qualify this by saying that I do not hate your state, or country for that matter. In fact, I love to travel and even live in different places to see how the people live and what it is about their location that they have to be proud of. No matter where you come from there are things in it's past to be proud of. I hope that you are able to find that about your home.

OK, now we can move on. I was excited about reading The Raven because I spent a good deal of my childhood learning about Sam Houston's role in Texas history, but I realized that I knew very little about the actual man. For those unfamiliar with Texas history, Sam Houston was not only a Congressman and Governor of Tennessee, but he was president of the Republic of Texas, Senator from the state of Texas and Governor of Texas. I had know idea what a wild life Houston lived and what a romantic figure he was in America during his lifetime.

The physical descriptions that I read about him gave him a type of John Wayne-image in my mind (maybe not the real John Wayne, but definitely the type of characters he played). He was tall, handsome, and mysterious. A free spirit, Houston a good part of his life living with the Cherokee - even becoming a type of adopted son to a great Cherokee chief. The Cherokee were responsible for his nickname, The Raven.

I could go on and on about all that I learned about Sam Houston in James's book, but I won't bore you. The book is not difficult reading and not so boring either. If you like biographies, I think you'll like this book, but I would be interested to see if there are any non-Texans out there who have read The Raven and if they found it as interesting as I did.

(** Special Note ** I do apologize for being late in posting. For those of you who don't know, I am in school right now and find it difficult to motivate myself to any extra writing. But, I continue to read whether I write or not. Thank you to those who do read the blog. I will do my best to not let you down!)

Scarlet Sister Mary - Winner, Novel/Fiction, 1929

Scarlet Sister Mary
By: Julia Peterkin
Bobbs-Merrill, 1928

"...the story of the harlot of Blue Brook Plantation.''

Bobbs-Merrill

Bobbs-Merrill used the above quote in their promotions for Julia Peterkin's Scarlet Sister Mary, and I found it to be the best summary of her book. The story is simply about the life of Sister Mary who can't seem to settle down and brings 9 children with 9 different fathers into the world along the way. I often wondered, as I read, where the book was going. I guess the problem that needs resolution along the way is whether Mary will ever settle down. For me that is not enough to keep me interested for more than 300 pages. Needless to say, I didn't really enjoy the story of Scarlet Sister Mary.

The value of Peterkin's book, I believe, is not found in the story but in her grasp of the post-emancipation culture, superstitions, religion, and language specific to the Gullah people of the low country plantations of the South Carolina and Georgia coasts. Peterkin lived in South Carolina and probably gained some of her insight as a plantation mistress after her marriage in 1903. The characters in Scarlet Sister Mary speak in the Gullah dialect, which can slow down the reading, but gives a good sense of the people she describes. I wouldn't put Scarlet Sister Mary on any list of books I enjoy, but I would say it is a good read to give a sense of post-Civil War plantation life.

The Organization & Administration of the Union Army, 1861-1865 - Winner, Non-Fiction, 1929

The Organization & Administration of the Union Army, 1861-1865

By: Fred Albert Shannon

A.H. Clark, 1928

The Organization & Administration of the Union Army, 1861-1865. Sounds like a page turner, huh? As I have admitted on non-fiction books in the past, I was NOT looking forward to this book. I do not enjoy war history. So much of the Civil War history that I have read is all about battle tactics. I HATE battle tactics. But, I persevered and I am actually glad that I did.

Shannon's book avoids battle tactics almost entirely. Instead, he focuses on the trials that the Union had when trying to organize an army. He discusses the importance of states' rights (an issue not much mentioned in the histories Union side of things) in the organization of the army. He also spends a great deal of time on the struggle faced by the soldiers when it came to provisions. These are the things about history that fascinate me - the way people lived during a specific period in history. The soldiers struggled greatly not only with the meager food rations provided them, but even more the clothing provided. Shannon presents several humorous stories of methods used by soldiers to cover up holes worn into the rears of their pants. He continues in the book to discuss the problems in recruiting and maintaining soldiers throughout the war years.

While this book might not be for everyone, I will say that I came very close to enjoying parts of it. I really felt like I learned some new things about the Civil War.