The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

Book Description

The bloody conflict that sundered the United States from 1861 to 1865 took 620,000 lives, laid waste to large sections of the American South, and decided the future course of the nation. Its reverberations are still felt in American life. Now from the home of "The Nation's Memory" comes The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference. Drawn from the Library's unparalleled Civil War collections -- including previously unpublished letters and diaries, maps and photographs, as well as thousands of works by post-Civil War scholars and experts -- this is the ultimate one-volume reference on the Civil War.

A comprehensive yet accessible compendium, The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference is organized into chapters that address broad themes such as "Antebellum America," "Wartime Politics," "Armies," and "Reconstruction and Aftermath of the War." Each of these chapters includes more specific topics, such as "The Election of 1860," "Notable Civil War Officers," and "African Americans During Reconstruction." There are timelines that chronicle major events, brief profiles of significant people, and excerpts from key pieces of legislation and addresses that reflect the passions and politics of the times. Here readers can find, for example, detailed information on the arms used on both sides during the Civil War in the "Weaponry" chapter. And descriptions of significant battles, as well as information on casualties, military strategy and tactics, and logistical support, are to be found in the "Battles and the Battlefield" chapter. Topics ranging from economic conditions north and south of the Mason-Dixon line on the eve of the war to the history of slavery in the United States to the impact of the Civil War on literature and the fine arts give additional depth and context to the book's presentation of Civil War events.

The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference also looks beyond the major events and figures and examines the lives of the common soldiers (from their diet, training, and medical treatment to the struggles of the Union's black soldiers), the various roles women played in the war, and telling events on the home fronts. Along with the words of writers such as Walt Whitman and Herman Melville, readers will find excerpts from the journals and letters of nurses, soldiers, refugees and freedmen. A final chapter offers a guide to further study of the Civil War -- including information about major archival collections, important published resources, and national historic sites-for those who wish to learn more.

Prodigious in its scope, illustrated with more than 100 photographs and drawings and dozens of maps, The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference is sure to become the indispensable one-volume reference on the Civil War.

Customer Reviews:

Best single volume on the war.......2005-11-28

Even considering James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom, I really think this book is the best single volume on the entire war. It has been exhaustively researched, but it is written very well and is a true page turner, even at nearly 1000 pages. If you wanted to get at least a closer look at topics regarding the war, this is the place to start. Chapters are devoted to antebellum America, wartime politics, battles, the armies, weaponry, the naval war, prisons and POWs, medicine, the home front, reconstruction, and even a chapter on preservation issues. And inside every chapter there are great looks at the personalities on both sides and major issues, whether military or political or personal. Because it is both entertaining reading and so thoroughly researched, this book is truly a must have for a Civil War buff or someone just starting out. As a history buff, I highly recommend it.

Wonderful, wonderful reference work!.......2005-04-02

I had been looking for something like this for years. A brilliant compendium of information, attractively laid out. Parts of it are well-written enough to read as narratives; other parts are mostly useful as references (similar to encyclopedia entries). Not aimed solely at the hard-core Civil War buff, but useful in the library of anyone interested in American history who wants a solid and user-friendly overview of virtually every facet of the Civil War.

Highly readable and informative single volume.......2004-06-01

If one wishes to have a single volume of the civil war in all its various aspects, one would be hard pressed to find a better treatise than the nearly 1,000 page Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference.

It does not deal with the battles in depth as do so many other volumes on this epic struggle between North and South. Nevertheless, the battles on land and water are described and accompanied by many well executed maps. Descriptions of the armies and their weaponry are treated in detail, as is the treatment of prisoners of war. There are time lines on politics, slavery, naval encounters, and reconstruction.

The chapters that are most significant, from my point of view, are those that deal with nonmilitary aspects of the war: the economic differences of the north and south, the importance of religion in the lives of Americans, a brief account of slavery in the United states, a history of the beginning and development of the rift that led to the conflict. An excellent chapter of nearly one hundred pages deals with the politics the war. A rather grim, but enlightening, chapter discusses the treatment of the wounded (many amputations), the fight to control disease, and people important in establishing policy and organizing hospitals and field teams of doctors and nurses. A part of wartime history often relegated to the sidelines is the home front. A separate chapter on this subject corrects that neglected topic. A lengthy chapter considers the reconstruction following the end of hostilities. And where else but in this considerable tome would one find not only an account of the armies and battles but also one of the civil war in literature and the arts. After wading through this book, if your curiosity is stimulated to pursue a topic in greater depth then browse the final two chapters, where you will find lists and descriptions of civil war novels, poets and poetry, music, cinema, stage plays, and television movies and documentaries -- all dealing with the civil war. Also a list of organizations that promote the preservation of battlefields, others that document the civil war veterans and their descendants, reenactments of the war, a listing by state of major artifact and archival collections, and important publications on the civil war.

There is no single volume that is more wide ranging in its treatment of the civil war. The editors and the contributors are to be congratulated for putting into one highly readable volume almost anything one might want to learn about the civil war.

A Reference For Civl War Buffs.......2004-03-02

The Desk Reference contains more than 100 photographs, maps and numerous tables that provide interesting facts and information about the Civil War. It is well organized and contains an easy to use list of Contents. It covers all aspects of the war, from major armies and key battles to prisons, medical care and events occuring on the home front. It doesn't read as a novel because it's purpose is to become a good reference source. James MacPherson wrote in the Preface to the book, " You will soon be impressed. and you will soon be hooked. Your knowledge and understanding of this greatest of American wars will expand and deepen more than you thought possible from a single volume."

The LIbrary of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

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The LIbrary of Congress Civil War Desk Reference

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000GE6TSW

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Brand new LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold.

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The Library of Congress CIVIL WAR DESK REFERENCE

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CS2AKI

Product Description

Drawn from the unparalleled collections of the Library of Congressincluding previously unpublished letters, diaries, maps, and photographs, as well as thousands of works by post-Civil War scholars and expertsthis is the ultimate one-volume reference on the Civil War, With a foreword by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Civil War historian James McPherson.

Amazon.com

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 might have signaled the end of slavery, but the beginning of freedom remained far out of sight for most of the four million enslaved African Americans living in the South. Even after the Civil War, when thousands of former slaves flocked to southern cities in search of work, they found the demands placed on them as wage-earners disturbingly similar to those they had faced as slaves: seven-day workweeks, endless labor, and poor treatment. In To 'Joy My Freedom, author Tera W. Hunter takes a close look at the lives of black women in the post-Civil War South and draws some interesting conclusions. Hunter's interest in the subject was initially sparked by her research of the washerwomen's strike of 1881. This labor protest by more than 3,000 Atlanta laundresses is symbolic, Hunter posits, of African American women's ability to build communities and practice effective, if rough-and-ready, political strategies outside the mainstream electoral system.

To 'Joy My Freedom is a fascinating look at the long-neglected story of black women in postwar southern culture. Hunter examines the strategies these women (98 percent of whom worked as domestic servants) used to cope with low wages and poor working conditions and their efforts to master the tools of advancement, including literacy. Hunter explores not only the political, but the cultural, too, offering an in-depth look at the distinctive music, dance, and theater that grew out of the black experience in the South.

Book Description

As the Civil War drew to a close, newly emancipated black women workers made their way to Atlanta--the economic hub of the newly emerging urban and industrial south--in order to build an independent and free life on the rubble of their enslaved past. In an original and dramatic work of scholarship, Tera Hunter traces their lives in the postbellum era and reveals the centrality of their labors to the African-American struggle for freedom and justice. Household laborers and washerwomen were constrained by their employers' domestic worlds but constructed their own world of work, play, negotiation, resistance, and community organization.

Hunter follows African-American working women from their newfound optimism and hope at the end of the Civil War to their struggles as free domestic laborers in the homes of their former masters. We witness their drive as they build neighborhoods and networks and their energy as they enjoy leisure hours in dance halls and clubs. We learn of their militance and the way they resisted efforts to keep them economically depressed and medically victimized. Finally, we understand the despair and defeat provoked by Jim Crow laws and segregation and how they spurred large numbers of black laboring women to migrate north.

Hunter weaves a rich and diverse tapestry of the culture and experience of black women workers in the post-Civil War south. Through anecdote and data, analysis and interpretation, she manages to penetrate African-American life and labor and to reveal the centrality of women at the inception--and at the heart--of the new south.

Customer Reviews:

A worthy read.......2000-11-27

Although it is not perfect, Hunter provides an engrossing look at southern black women's labor (especially in Atlanta) from the end of the Civil War to the Great Migration. With emancipation, these women searched for identity as free women, as paid workers, and as African Americans. White woutherners developed institutions and laws to restrict the newfound freedom black southerners sought to enjoy. Black women workers responded through community awareness and activism, showing intelligence and the desire to better their lives. Hunter's innovative use of sources shapes her work and helps the women's voices come alive. Because of limited African-Americal literacy in the early Reconstruction period, Hunter turned to newspapers and white southners' diaries fo flesh-out black women's experiences. Although problematic, the attention given in them to black women domestics demonstrated the division of both race and gender. Hunter also incorporates unique sources like dance steps so show the many ways newly freed women sought to define themselves. Her haunting use of illustrations reinforces the oppression and struggle for freedom black women laborers faced. As someone who knew very little about this aspect of history, Hunter's work has developed my interest in this time.

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what we learned - what we still have to learn

Even the book's cover will break your heart

Great purchase

Fascinating Look at Harlow's Research

Great topic, lousy subject

Love At Goon Park : Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection (Science Matters)
Deborah Blum
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description

We take it for granted today that babies need love. But less than a century ago, psychologists warned women against showing their children "too much affection"-predicting dire consequences ranging from deadly disease to sexual dysfunction in adulthood. The story of how this conventional wisdom was finally shattered takes us into the life and the laboratory of Harry Harlow-workaholic, alcoholic, brilliant and brave, capable of caustic wit and cruelty-and into an era in which the scientific establishment was just beginning to understand the power of human emotion.

Customer Reviews:

what we learned - what we still have to learn.......2007-07-30

When Harry Harlow started exploring the science of affection it was in the face of disregard and opposition in the world of medicine and psychology. But he was able to show that affection is vital to the proper development of the newly born, as too is the measured rejection of the newly born's parents when the time is right. Consequently we now encourage the bonding of parents and children through physical handling. (Perhaps more affectionate and supportive friendships outside the family have developed as a result also.)

These were great insights for society and yet Harlow did face opposition. Just when he was saying the role of the mother (and father - but he was less vocal about that) was vital to the upbringing of the baby, the womens liberation movement was trying to get women more freedom - more equality on the basis of being the same as men. How could this new emphasis on the importance of the role of parents (principally women as men were traditionally the 'bread winners') be tolerated? To me, however, there is a mistake in this. We should not be treated equally because we are the same - but for the very opposite reason - because we are all unique. If we are to get the best from each unique individual then each individual must have equal rights and opportunity. Unfortunately Harlow's approach to opposition was often rude and confronting.

After his death Harlow's research faced another challenge - this time from the animal liberation activists. Harlow had done his experiments on monkeys principally, and these experiments necessarily had damaging (and surprising) results for the animals experimented on. Harlow did care for the animals and provided for them as well as he could in difficult circumstances - for example, he always tried to 'restore' emotionally damaged animals. Although we may now regret the methods he and his students used, and certainly not want to repeat them for the sake of student exercises, we should not lose sight of the vital information that was uncovered.

Deborah Blum's book is engaging and revealing - especially concerning the history of human behaviour with regard to affection and love. It is surprising how recent (1950s) some attitudes were that are now totally overthrown, at least in part because of Harlow's work.

But does psychology have more lessons to learn from Harlow? It is my belief that this is so. I recently had a workplace experience where I was confronted by a workplace bully. But immediately I knew this bully was not picking on me - this was just characteristic behaviour that was applied to everyone they worked with. All the stories and rumours I had heard - and continued to hear with more clarity - suddenly had greater presence for me. To overcome my distress at this situation I used the free staff counselling service offered by my employer. Perhaps in doing that I was already demonstrating my capacity to manage, to cope. What, however, of my colleagues who I now had insight to the terrible behaviour of the bully for them? Harlow would not have been surprised that I had bonded with these people - to some more closely than others. But the psychologist/counsellor understood nothing of this - as long as I was dealt with (the immediate client) nothing else could be done. But the only thing that could really be done for me was to smash all the bonds I had built with my colleagues so that I was no longer concerned for them. Was that reasonable?

And what of psychology offered to one of a married couple privately from the bond that links them. What is the risk that this will actually prise apart the bond that needs to be strengthened or at least maintained? I'm not sure how psychology should handle these matters but it continues to alarm me that the insights of Harlow are still being overlooked in areas where they should not be. Is it the impact of the womens liberation and animal liberation movements that have denigrated the research sufficiently to block its use in other areas?

other recommendations:
'Workplace Monsters' John Clarke (Random House Australia)
'Conditions of Love' John Armstrong
'A Crystal Age' W H Hudson

Even the book's cover will break your heart.......2006-12-03

Fifty years ago I had psych classes at the UW, and I helped tend the rats in 600 N. Park. I learned about Harry Harlow, Carl Rogers, and schools of thought in Psychology. Now, finally, I understand and see the importance of what was going on here.

Deborah Blum has clarified the conflicts in behavioral science during the first half of the 20th century as my instructors never could. She has given human faces to the names that were listed in the semester timetables, but whom most students never saw. And Harry Harlow's flaws are not whitewashed, but they are understandable.

Younger readers will be aghast at the parenting style that was advocated by child health professionals over 50 years ago. Many of us, although we were not neglected or abandoned, were not cuddled and made to feel cherished. Harlow, among others, was able to disprove the validity of a sterile upbringing in creating a human adult.

And it is truly a page-turner, well written and captivating.

Great purchase.......2006-08-04

This book was in great shape and is an excellent read for those who want to understand

Fascinating Look at Harlow's Research.......2005-08-15

This is one of the most interesting and well written books I've ever read on this or any similar topic. To anyone who studies or has studied attachment, Blum offers an amazing look at how this early research changed the face of psychology. To anyone who has read countless poorly written descriptions of boring research studies, this book is an oasis.

I don't believe Blum has portrayed Harlow through rose-colored glasses. On the contrary, anyone reading this book might even wonder whether Harlow's neglect of his own children was a good thing, given his lack of compassion and indifference toward the suffering he caused. My copy is well-worn and has been loaned out many times. I highly recommend this book.

Great topic, lousy subject.......2004-09-27

This is an extremely interesting book in terms of underlining how damaging scientific fads can be. The early twentieth century fad of data and cleanliness may well have led to the deaths many children as cleanliness was preferred over attention.

Unfortunately, Harry Harlow is less interesting, and provides an abominable contrast to the subject. Harlow ignores both wives and his children in search for - as he wrote in his school's yearbook - 'fame'. He becomes a chain-smoking alcoholic. Bizarrely, Blum emphasises Harlow's visionary understanding of love with, at times, an almost 'here comes superman' manner. She appears incapable of reconciling her argument that Harlow is the scientist of love with the fact that he ignored his wives and all his children!

If anything, I read the book as reflecting one man's selfish, desperate desire for achievement and fame. Thanks to his interest in monkeys, he and his students seemed to fall over the answer. Not exactly visionary.

A good read though, reflecting the pitfalls of faddish thinking, and also how scientific discoveries (if the fact that a child needs its mother is a discovery) occur. The book also reflects how difficult it can be to refute incorrect arguments.

Love At Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection

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Love At Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection
Deborah Blum
Manufacturer: Perseus Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7805W

Deconstructing Harry.(biography of psychologist Harry Harlow)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

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Deconstructing Harry.(biography of psychologist Harry Harlow)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
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Practice.(six books)(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Social Work Education

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Practice.(six books)(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Social Work Education

Manufacturer: Council On Social Work Education
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This digital document is an article from Journal of Social Work Education, published by Council On Social Work Education on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 612 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Practice.(six books)(Book Review)
Publication: Journal of Social Work Education (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: Council On Social Work Education
Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Page: 485(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Love At Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection (Ai Zai Bao Li Gong Yuan, in Traditional Chinese NOT in English)

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Love At Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection (Ai Zai Bao Li Gong Yuan, in Traditional Chinese NOT in English)

Manufacturer: Yuan Liu
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ASIN: 9573252309

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Chinese edition of Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection.

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The latest edition of this long established reference work for all those involved in environmental health is opened by a new chapter which discusses the changing approaches to Environmental Health.

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The latest edition of this long established reference work for all those involved in environmental health is opened by a new chapter which discusses the changing approaches to Environmental Health.

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Exellent reference book for the career of an EHO.......1998-01-09

Clay's Handbook of Environmental Health is a consice guide to the career of Environmental Health, and provides an exellent tool for any Enviromental Health Officer. The handbook covers the main areas of Environmental health, and is useful as a all round guide of the career. Clay's is a good study guide, and reference guide for students studying Environmental Health ,and would be an investment to any student as it acts as a good bookcase filled to aid newly qualified students, and when not using it , it acts as a wonderful doorstop. Clay's handbook of Environmental Health is a very good basebook and is very useful to the new EHO starting out in their career.

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Henry Hurrell Clay
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CLAY'S HANDBOOK OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
HENRY H. CLAY
Manufacturer: TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
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