A Very Well Told Story of Civil War Character

This story of stories of the battle of civil war prisoners and their escape and travels opened my eyes to the character of people in the USA and gives me faith that we will resist the lure of fighting the wars of the rich and powerful.

1 persona l'ha trovata utile

Excellent

Explores the forgotten heritage of our Civil War’s Union Soldiers & the contributions/resistance of southern slaves & decent whites. Also am excellent reminder of the barbarism of the war, women’s role in it & shows where the foundation of much of the future Jim Crow terrorism began

Most importantly, it states clearly, w/o the shadow of the recent revisionist Southern Lost Cause myth & reminds us today, that there was no doubt in the Union soldiers minds that they were fighting to end slavery. Period. Full Stop.

Sounds like a good book but...

The narrator was quite choppy. I thought it was getting better, but apparently it was.

This was interesting.

This was interesting. It says lots of things that other books about the war don't rather than just repeating them.

I hadn't heard the details of this side of the war

The author has uncovered many great stories of escaped prisoners, which are told in compelling and balanced detail. Captured and escaped Yankees did a great deal to cripple the Confederates. Highly recommend!

Excellent

Well written and narrated study of a little reviewed subject regarding the American Civil War. I learned a lot from this presentation. I ihighly recommend it to others

A great slice of little known ACW history.

The inmates are escaping the asylum. A great slice of little known or researched Civil War history.

Foote's 2016 "Yankee Plague" approaches the decline of the Confederate war effort from multiple angles (the collapse of slavery, state governments, and the Confederate government in toto) through the lense of escaped Federal prisoners and it's fascinating at every turn.

Most ACW prisoners of war discussions deal with the notorious prison in Andersonville, Georgia. Here, however, Foote shows how the decision to house Union soldiers in open field camps in North and South Carolina, combined with a VERY lax parole system, led to approximately 3000 (an entire brigade-sized element) escaping. That Union soldiers go out to collect firewood then simply keep walking is an indication of how curious the notion of parole in the Civil War was (i.e. a promise on one's honor not to return to the fight - a true relic of the 19th century).

Through journals and other contemporary sources, Foote follows several escaped prisoners as they navigate southern swamps, Home Guard patrols, sympathetic Southern citizens, and slaves in their attempts to make it back to Union lines. Some fled outright, while other groups of prisoners took a more leisurely approach, forming gangs of up to 50 men to plunder the countryside as they made their way north.

The fact that you could have so many escaped prisoners causing such widespread havoc is, per Foote, one reason why the social order necessary to maintain a wartime home front was rapidly breaking down. That, combined with Sherman marching through the South and the Confederate cause faltering in multiple other areas helps give a more complete view to the story of the fall of the Confederacy -- in part from "within."

Interesting story

An overlooked story of Union soldiers escaping Confederate imprisonment and Rebel deserters in the Carolinas in the waning months of the Civil War. The book also explores the collapse and ineptitude of Confederate government at that time. So much of Civil War literature is tainted by Lost Cause bias, so it’s nice to have a refreshing look at important factors largely ignored by historians in the past.

Rewarding listen

This book is enjoyable as it presents firsthand accounts of real history with all its nuances.

Yankee POW’s Escapes During the Civil War

WHAT STARS MEAN TO ME:

5...outstanding
4...good
3...OK
2..not recommended
1...unacceptable

NARRATION
3 = not flawed but neither does it promote curiosity and interest in the story.

STORY/CONTENT
3....of potential importance to certain academics, but I cannot imagine it being of interest to the general public.

CONCLUSION
I can see how this story might be of importance to some academics, but is not engage civil war aficionados or the general public. Frankly, I recommend giving this one a pass.