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U. S. CIVIL WAR BOOKS
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OTHER BOOKS
(Not Categorized)
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RATINGS:
- Great! Run out and buy it!
- Good! Recommended!
- Flawed! Some redeeming features. Get it from the library.
- Gawd-awful! Avoid this one!
- Don't Ask!
- Not Rated!
These are, of course, only our opinions. Your comments or
rebuttals to the
Webmaster
are always welcome.
Great Civil War Projects You can Build Yourself --- Maxine Anderson
-- Nomad Press. $14.95.
This book can be viewed from two different perspectives. First, it can be
thought of as a children's PROJECTS book. A book that teaches about
history by having children construct things, such as Kepi's, a telegraph,
a drum, etc. using fairly easy to find items in the home. Second, it can be
thought of as a PRIMER on the Civil War; a way to mold young minds to the
reasons and results of the events of that time.
PROJECTS:
When you look at the projects in this book, you wonder why something like this
was not thought of before. (If it was, I am not aware of it.) What a great
concept!
Using this book you can, among many projects, build a paddlewheeler, an
ironclad, a working camera, a periscope, and a telegraph. You can also make
quilts, dolls, and food, including dehydrated fruit. Most projects are easy to
complete and the required material is easy to acquire. However, a few items,
such as a garden hose, which is to be cut up to make a bugle, may be harder for
a young person to find.
The telegraph project is especially interesting to me, since I have been in
Amateur Radio for many years. I find it delightful that this book might
generate in its readers an interest in the telegraph, and Morse code.
(One minor aside; on the Morse code chart on Page 65, the letter "B" should be
listed as "-..." and "Query" [or question mark] should be shown as "..--..")
As a projects book about the Civil War times, I would definitely recommend this
work.
PRIMER:
However, this is not just a projects book. It is also an interpretive work that
provides the reader with an unequivocal reason for the Civil War. From Page 2,
"So what was the cause of the war? In a word, slavery." Following that
assertion, in the next 70+ pages devoted to Civil War history, almost 20 pages
make reference to slavery.
As a descendent of both Confederate and Union soldiers (see my
ancestors' page), I have strong feelings
regarding why they fought and what caused the war. Contrary to current doctrine,
I do not believe the cause of the War is as clear as one word, and I don't
believe that the reason the soldiers fought is that obvious. Thousands of
books have been written on the Civil War and even the learned scholars who wrote
the books cannot agree on all of it.
I disagree with the interpretation given in this book, but I have no problem
with it being published.
SUMMARY:
Taking into consideration the positive and negative aspects of this book, from
my point of view, I feel that its positives, as a projects book, outweigh its
negatives, as a history book, to such a significant degree that I can give it
a good (three star) recommendation.
However, I would add the caveat that it not be the reader's only source of Civil
War history.
Content Team
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