Name: This Republic of Suffering
ISBN: 9780375404047

Drew Gilpin Faust

Death and the American Civil War

This Republic of Suffering

simply my favorite civil war book. an intimate deep dive into how the unprecedented mass casualties of the american civil war brought about social change that touched nearly every aspect of life and death in the united states. the american civil war sits at a turning point in military history — the first “modern” war by many measures, it was a more industrialized and deadly form of war carried out by a mostly volunteer army.  the mass scale of death challenged a deeply religious society’s ideas of a merciful god and eternal life after death. many aspects of the modern american military that we now take for granted — systematized tracking of casualties and next-of-kin notifications, organized medical evacuation from battlefields, and national cemeteries for fallen soldiers, to name only a few — are solutions to problems that the carnage of the civil war forced the nation to confront. faust draws on the contemporary writings of soldiers, civilians, politicians, nurses, authors, and preachers, men and women from north and south, across racial, class, and religious lines, to draw the reader into a vivid historical account. highly recommend!! 

Cecilia Giordano

Had to read for class. Surprisingly I really liked it. Through this class, American War and Society, I have found that American history interests me so maybe I will read some more books about it... maybe not. Hope I get an A on my Book Review.

This Republic of Suffering Death and the American Civil War

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