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Book Review–Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty

Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty book cover

Book Review—Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty

Ty Cobb A Terrible Beauty biography written by Charles Leerhsen.

Leerhsen, Charles. Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty. New York: Simon and Schuster. 2015. ISBN 9781451645798 (paperback). $18.99. Index, b/w photos. 449 pages, 404 pages of text.

 

 

Winner of the Casey Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year as awarded by Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine, Ty Cobb, A Terrible Beauty is a book all baseball fans and historians should read.

 

Ty Cobb--courtesy Library of CongressTy Cobb A Terrible Beauty written by Charles Leehrsen
Ty Cobb–Courtesy Library of Congress

On the Mount Rushmore of baseball immortality, you will find Ty Cobb, the Georgia Peach. When your career batting numbers include lines such as 4,189 hits, twelve batting titles, a career .366 batting average, and nearly 1,000 stolen bases, immortality is yours. In Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty, author Charless Leehrsen takes on the monumental task of rehabilitating Cobb’s tarnished legacy.

Along with his batting prowess however, Cobb has another reputation that is not so glamorous. It is this reputation for fighting, having a short temper, being cheap, claims of his being a dirty player, and racism that former Sports Illustrated editor, Charles Leerhsen attempts to combat in his revisionist biography of Cobb. As reviewer John Williams stated in the New York Times with the books release, “Cobb’s image is not a fixer-upper; it’s a Superfund site.”

 

MagazineValues.com

 

Cobb A Biography by Al Stump

Ty Cobb A Terrible Beauty
Leerhsen has a major bone to pick with Al Stump. Stump, a man with a not so clean reputation himself, was the co-author of Cobb’s autobiography My Life in Baseball, and then more scathing works in True magazine and later the book, Cobb: The Life and Times of the Meanest Man Who Ever Played Baseball, and comes in for repeated criticism, some of it deserved, from Leerhsen. The movie Cobb, based upon Stump’s work is given its share of criticism as well. In his note on sources he states the movie “was no help at all.”

In A Terrible Beauty, we learn of the difficulties Cobb had when breaking into professional baseball. The bullying and hazing of the day are things I hope would never be tolerated in locker rooms today. Some of it bordered on what might be called criminal. Cobb also had to deal with the murder of his father. A murder committed by his mother under mysterious and questionable circumstances.

While Cobb did have many difficulties, these do not allow a biographer to excuse away in any manner Cobb’s actions. He would fight seemingly anyone; from teammates and opponents, to umpires, to team staff, hotel workers, and even fans who catcalled him from the bleachers. Cobb’s admitted actions would probably lead to his banishment from the game today and more lawsuits than his lawyers could attend to.

In trying to bolster Cobb’s reputation, Leerhsen is at times not willing to place blame where it seems to belong, at Cobb’s feet. An example are multiple interactions with Bungy Cummings, an African American groundskeeper, who may have had a liking for alcohol.


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In 1906, what looks to have probably started as a harmless interaction between Cummings and Cobb led to a violent fight with teammate Charlie Schmidt. Schmidt claimed to have seen Cobb choking the wife of Schmidt, who was trying to stop Cobb from beating her husband. Leerhsen seems to shake off the episode calling Cummings a drunk. Cobb is forgiven because “It’s worth noting I think [Leerhsen is the I] that he [Cobb] didn’t claim that beating up Cummings and his wife was permissible because there were Negroes who had become too familiar or aggressive (as is sometimes alleged or suggested); what he said, rather, was that he did not beat them up.” This is a claim that seems most improbable. Schmidt is condemned as a man who had fought with Cobb on at least two prior occasions, thus seemingly making him in the wrong by default.

Cobb is deemed to have not been racist for his praise of stars such as Willie Mays. In 1952, regarding Black players in Major League Baseball, Cobb stated, “The Negro should be accepted and not grudgingly but wholeheartedly.” Easy for him to have said twenty-four years into retirement and five years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Would a Georgia born and bred Cobb have made such a comment during his playing days?

So, what do we make of Leerhsen’s book? Well, first, I have several editorial complaints that should in no way reflect upon Leerhsen, his research, or the text of this book. First is the lack of a formal bibliography. This is a massive oversight on the part of the publisher. The two page “Note on Sources” that is included is unacceptable. What this “Note” is, is two long unusable paragraphs listing secondary sources. The first paragraph includes works on Cobb (with further bashing of Stump of course.) The second is “Other books I consulted,” a listing of authors and book titles in no conceivable order.

My second issue is what pass for endnotes. Rather than have standard endnotes, what readers are presented with is each chapter receiving a single paragraph of text with page numbers and a very brief comment where material came from.  If this material is not included in the “Note on Sources” you are left even further mystified.  These paragraphs are difficult and not user friendly, nor are they endnotes. I get not having footnotes, though those are most convenient for readers, and I am happy enough to at least have traditional endnotes. This type of notation should be avoided by all publishers.


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After reading Leerhsen what am I left with? First, I am left with the nagging feeling I should have read all of Stump’s works prior. Because A Terrible Beauty is so focused on countering much of what has been written about Cobb, a grasp of that literature would have helped.

Secondly, it seems clear that the author has done plenty of research. While a majority seems to come from newspapers, which often have their own slant, Leerhsen is able to combat much of the reputation Cobb has been given (I hesitate to say earned after reading this book.) I would use the reputation for having been a dirty player as an example here. Instances of Cobb being involved in a “spiking” seem to have been rare. Players of the day do not seem to have universally considered him a dirty player. Did you want to have Cobb barreling down on you while stealing a base or stretching a hit? Probably not; does it appear he went out of his way to injure opposing players, no.

I might like to have seen a bit about Cobb’s legacy, especially in the Royston, GA area. Cobb’s burial location is discussed. This is a must see if you are travelling through town.

At the end of the day, who is the real Tyrus Raymond Cobb? Is it the violent, racist, possibly alcoholic of Al Stump; or the more moderate, misunderstood, Cobb of Charles Leerhsen? It is probably somewhere in between, but Leerhsen has done a commendable job in righting some of the past wrongs we have assumed true of Ty Cobb.

You may find all of Charles Leerhsen’s books using THIS LINK.

Bowman, GA is located just a short drive from Royston, GA, where Cobb called home. Here are some sites you should see if you visit Bowman. Use this link for my recommendations.

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 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence views and opinions shared in my posts. 

 


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from: Magazine Values

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Book Review–Battle of Gettysburg Timothy J. Orr

Battle of Gettysburg 1863 (1) The First Day written by Timothy J. Orr and published by Osprey Publishing

Batle of Gettysburg 1863 First Day Timothy OrrOrr, Timothy J. and Illustrated by Steve Noon. The Battle of Gettysburg 1863 (1) The
First Day. New York: Osprey Publishing, 2022. ISBN 9781472848499, $24.00. 96
pages, color and b/w images, maps, index, bibliographyy

 

 

 

 

 

Battle of Gettysburg 1863 Volume 2 Timothy OrrOrr, Timothy J. and Illustrated by Steve Noon. The Battle of Gettysburg 1863 (2) The
Second Day. New York: Osprey Publishing, 2023. ISBN 9781472854643, $25.00.
96 pages, color and b/w images, maps, index, bibliography.

The Third Day volume will be following, most likely in early 2024.

 

 

 

 

The Osprey Campaign series should be familiar to readers of military history.
These books follow a template format that has proven successful. The books come
in at 96 pages and include a significant number of illustrations. While maps are
included it’s hard to say that a military history book can ever have enough maps.
For these titles, however, space is at a premium in order to include as much content
as possible.

The First Day covers events and actions on July 1, 1863, as would be expected.
Author Timothy J. Orr also includes helpful background material including a
chapter titled “The Invasion of Pennsylvania.” This chapter, coupled with brief
chapters on the opposing commanders, opposing armies, and opposing plans, help
orient readers into the complex actions set to occur throughout the first days of
July.

The meat of The First Day is of course the action on the field. In one long chapter,
broken up with chapter sub-headings, Orr concisely discusses actions at Oak Ridge,
McPherson’s Ridge, Seminary Ridge, the Union retreat, Cemetery Hill, and the
actions after nightfall.

In volume two, The Second Day, Orr follows a similar blueprint with a single, long
chapter covering actions at Hunterstown and Benner’s Hill, Little Round Top,
Devil’s Den, the Rose Wheat Field, the “Valley of Death,”, the Peach Orchard,
Cemetery Ridge, Culp’s Hill, and Cemetery Hill. A brief separate chapter covers
nightfall actions.

I have a few observations on this series. The first, as previously mentioned, is the
need for as many maps as possible. For a new student of the battle, being able to
accurately place troops, along with understanding the topography, is crucial. I
would recommend picking up a copy of The Maps of Gettysburg, from the
excellent historian Bradley Gottfried or a copy of Gettysburg Campaign Atlas, a
very convenient, spiral bound book by Phillip Laino. These sources will prove
invaluable in understanding the battle and supplement the maps included in the
books.

The 3D depiction maps created by Steve Noon are quite nice. The problem being,
due to their size, they spread over two pages and the binding breaks them up.
These maps include a nice breakdown of events being shown, including legends
allowing readers to locate where a specific regiment is located. The 3D effect helps
show woods and tree locations and helps viewers understand the terrain facing
soldiers.

Other maps included in these volumes are perhaps more familiar to those interested
in the Civil War. They have the appearance of the maps produced by the American
Battlefield Trust.

Nomatic

Both volumes contain an Order of Battle. These listings showing command
structure from Corps, to Division, to Brigade, and then listings of regiments in a
brigade, are extremely useful. These Orders can be a lifesaver in trying to
understand who was sent into battle along with where and who they are fighting
with and against. Bravo to Orr and Osprey for including this information.

A final observation is that these volumes are a perfect gateway for readers new to
the battle. There isn’t new ground being covered here and I didn’t finish feeling
there were new interpretations or material being presented. There is no problem
with that and that’s not what these books are for. With fighting as complex as the
three-day battle (not including the advance and retreat) was, for a new reader it can
be easy to be overwhelmed when picking up Coddington, Sears, or Trudeau. There
are publishers out there making a living off Gettysburg “micro-histories,” aimed at
covering every inch of battlefield, every brigade, if not regiment, and every officer where enough material can be
located.

Because the format of the Campaigns series is fixed, these books allow for enough
detail to be valuable to new readers while the bibliographies provide an excellent
listing of materials for those seeking additional detail and information.

Thank you to Osprey Publishing for providing complimentary review copies of
both books.

If you would like to read more of my book reviews, please use THIS LINK to find them.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and
make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This
commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and
opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate
programs or sponsors providing products.

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Library Additions June 2023 (1) Mercer University Press and more

A Wilderness of Destruction

Library Additions June 2023 (1)

We will start June 2023 off with a couple of new additions to the library. Both of these books were purchased by me and are not provided by a publisher or distributor.

Ross, Peter. A Tomb with a View: The Stories and Glories of Graveyards. London: Headline Publishing. 2020. ISBN 9781472267788, 352 pages, index, selected bibliography, b/w photos. $17.99.

Enter a grave new world of fascination and delight as award-winning writer Peter Ross uncovers the stories and glories of graveyards. Who are London’s outcast dead and why is David Bowie their guardian angel? What is the remarkable truth about Phoebe Hessel, who disguised herself as a man to fight alongside her sweetheart, and went on to live in the reigns of five monarchs? Why is a Bristol cemetery the perfect wedding venue for goths?

All of these sorrowful mysteries – and many more – are answered in A Tomb with A View, a book for anyone who has ever wandered through a field of crooked headstones and wondered about the lives and deaths of those who lie beneath.

So push open the rusting gate, push back the ivy, and take a look inside.

 

 

A Wilderness of Destruction
A Wilderness of Destruction

Waters, Zack C. A Wilderness of Destruction: Confederate Guerrillas in East and South Florida, 1986-1865. Macon: Mercer University Press.  2023. ISBN 9780881468816. 259 pages, index, bibliography, foot notes, b/w photos. $39.00.

Modern historians have consistently treated Florida as a military backwater. Despite that assessment, Rebel guerrillas blocked repeated Union attempts to establish a stronghold in the Florida’s interior. After the “abandonment” of Florida by the Confederate government, in early 1862, Gov. John Milton organized guerrilla units to protect the state’s citizens. These irregular companies kept Union forces largely confined to a few coastal outposts (St. Augustine, Fernandina, and Ft. Myers), though the state’s citizens suffered greatly from the depredations of Unionist units.

After the Federals capture of Vicksburg, the South’s only significant source of beef were the vast herds in Florida. It fell to the state’s Rebel partisans to protect the state’s interior, thereby keeping open routes for the delivery of longhorns to the South’s major armies. Skirmishes and battles raged throughout Florida, but the flow of beef cattle halted only after Appomattox.

I do receive a very generous “thank you” in the acknowledgements but those of you who know me understand I have purchased this book for my Florida Civil War library without hesitation. Zack is an excellent historian and this is a book covering an important part of the Florida Civil War history.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products. 

 

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Book Review: Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, & East Lake County written by Bob Grenier

Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County written by Bob Grenier

Thank you for taking time to read my book review of Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County  written by Bob Grenier and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book makes a solid contribution to Lake County and Florida history.

Sorrento, Mount Plymout East Lake County book reviewGrenier, Bob and the East Lake Historical Society. Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County (Images of America). Charleston: Arcadia Publishing.  2023. 128 pages, b/w photos. ISBN 9781467109420, $23.99.

Lake County, Florida is a rapidly growing area in Central Florida with Clermont being a bedroom community for Orlando, but also with proximity to Tampa. With a population of 297,000 in 2010, the county now boasts a staggering 410,000 persons just over a decade later, a growth of over 71%. When a county grows this fast, how do long term residents keep up with their history? As the number of transplants, often with no roots or desire to put down real roots, grows, what can be done to preserve the legacies of those who have built these now booming areas?

While the Clermont and west Lake County areas are not covered in this book, Bob Grenier and the East Lake Historical Society have provided a fine volume that will go far in making sure the names, deeds, and legacies of those from the East Lake County area will not be forgotten.

Mr. Grenier is well qualified to have gathered photos and penned a volume such as this. He is the author of several other Images of America volumes including works on Tavares, and Leesburg, along with books on Central Florida veterans from the Civil War, and World War II. Bob is a well known speaker throughout the region and has presented his work at many museums and historical societies. Mr. Grenier exhibits a sincere passion for his subjects both in writing and in his presentations. If you get a chance to hear him present, I recommend attending.

Bob has been a resident of Lake County, Florida since 1985 when he moved south from Illinois. Originally settling in Mount Plymouth, Bob was familiar with the area. When the East Lake Historical Society was founded he was able to reconnect with the area. He has put his experience as an author, public servant, and museum director to work in compiling this fascinating volume.

 

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East Lake County is often overlooked in comparison to the cities in the mid and western parts of the county. As mentioned, Clermont is rapidly growing, having grown to almost 50,000 residents on its own, up from 28,000 in 2010. Cities such as Mount Dora, Leesburg, and Tavares, the county seat, often garner the most attention as might be expected. What of the small communities of east Lake County? They continue to be home to dedicated residents, proud of their local communities.

Mr. Grenier starts the book off with an interesting, but brief, two page introduction to his subject. Here, he quickly covers his subject matter. Here we learn of the Sorrento Immigration Service and how northern migrants helped develop the town in the post Civil War years. Special mention is given to Major Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, a man Mr. Grenier is well associated with, having expertly put together a  volume of Abrams writings.

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Mount Plymouth is described by Mr. Grenier as “a Currier and Ives painting come to life” (page 8). Here we learn of the Mount Plymouth Corporation and the plans of powerful men such as real estate developer H. Carl Dann, John Pirie of Carson Pirie Scott and Company fame, and baseball legend Connie Mack. Their dream was to develop a 5,000 acre parcel into a winter resort, reminiscent of the Scottish countryside.

The small community of Cassia on State Road 44, only about ten minutes from the Lake/Volusia County line is home to the annual Cassia Day, an event filled with food, games, music, and community, to help celebrate the heritage of this area which can trace its first settlers to the 1850s. I have often passed through Cassia on State Road 44 and never given it a moments consideration. That oversight needs to be rectified.

Readers are invited to find more of my book reviews from Arcadia Publishing. Please use this link.

The meat of the book is of course the photos, and this book is packed with them, including well over 200, spanning from the earliest days of these communities to more modern times helping show how these towns have evolved but still retain their sense of community. As can be expected, some of the image quality is better than others. The reproductions can only do so much based upon the source material. Overall though, I think you will be impressed.

Here we meet early settlers, families that often had to struggle to make their lives work. We also meet men like Sam Stoltz, a self taught architect from Chicago. Mr. Stoltz created Tudor style homes in Mount Plymouth. We get to see photos of some of these “Plymouthonians” in the book. (page 64)

We are treated to beauty queens (page 58), Civil War soldiers (page 86), Camp Boggy Creek (page 97), and a gentleman by the name of “Possum Slim” and his amazing story (page 51). My favorite images may be of the Sorrento Baseball Club dating to around the turn of the twentieth century (page 17).

For those interested in Lake County history this is a must have. Readers interested in Florida history and the development and evolution of small Florida towns should consider adding this title to their library. Well written, with a diverse subject matter included, Mr. Grenier and the East Lake Historical Society have done a fine job in showcasing this unique part of Florida.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.

 

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Library Additions April 2023 (2) Arcadia Publishing

Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County
Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County
Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County

Thank you to my good friend, the historian and author, Bob Grenier for providing a complimentary copy of his new book, Sorrento, Mount Plymouth, and East Lake County. 

For full disclosure, Bob is a friend of mine and I have had the pleasure of reading his work in the past and also seeing him as a presenter. He puts his heart into his work and his passion shows through. I have no doubt this book will be the same and it has move to the top of my to-be-read pile.

From the publisher:

The town of Sorrento in East Lake County, named for the picturesque coastal town in southwestern Italy famous for its abundance of orange and lemon groves, was first settled in 1875 by the William Butts family. They were soon followed by the Kerr, Reeve, and Miner families.

That same year, five bachelors from Ohio arrived–among them being Albert Matlack and Ed Averill, who were instrumental in the development of this new community. Matlack, who opened the first mercantile business with Charles Adams, surveyed, charted, and mapped the new town, while Averill built the first tourist hotel, called the Averill House.

By 1882, many motivated new settlers arrived, which prompted swift growth in this scenic village carved from the Florida wilderness. A church, schoolhouse, drugstore, post office, packinghouses, dairy farms, cattle and horse ranches, and brick, lumber, and turpentine mills, framed by peach orchards and endless rows of orange groves, established Sorrento as a flourishing destination.

Mount Plymouth, distinct with its famed Storybook homes of renowned architect Sam Stoltz and the celebrity winter retreat of the Mount Plymouth Hotel, compliment the East Lake County landscape.

To find Bob’s other books, please use this LINK. He has several titles that will be of interest to those studying Lake County, FL history and a couple of excellent books in the Images of America series dealing with Central Florida WWII and Civil War veterans.

To see my reviews and posts dealing with Arcadia Publishing books, please use this LINK.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.

 

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Book Review Sharpsburg (Images of America)

Sharpsburg

Sharpsburg Images of America Book ReviewBelow is my book review of Sharpsburg Images of America where authors Vernell and Tim Doyle strive to show the history of the town other than just the Battle of Antietam.

Doyle, Vernell and Tim Doyle. Sharpsburg (Images of America.) Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2009. ISBN 9780738568058, 127 pages, b/w photos, bibliography, $21.99.

The town of Sharpsburg, MD is a small community located in Washington County, near the border with Pennsylvania and is home to less than 1,000 residents. Sharpsburg was founded in 1763 and incorporated in 1832. The town is best known for the Civil War battle that occurred in September 1862, better known as the Battle of Antietam.  There, more than 130,000 combined Union and Confederate men fought it out to what many consider a stalemate that was ultimately a Union victory as Robert E. Lee and Confederate troops retreated south across the Potomac. The casualty toll from the battle was horrific, more than 22,000 dead, wounded, missing, or taken prisoner. More than 3,600 men would be killed. Today, many of the Union dead from this battle are interred at Antietam National Cemetery. Abraham Lincoln used the seeming Union victory as his opportunity to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.

In their Images of America series book, authors Vernell and Tim Doyle, a retired teacher and retired journalist respectively, try to remind us that the community of Sharpsburg is much more than the Battle of Antietam.  If you are unfamiliar with the series, authors pull together  around 150 images around their subject, providing concise captions to help further their story. In five chapters, the Doyles lay out a history of Sharpsburg where the battle plays only a partial role. Only one chapter is tied directly to the September 1862 fight. In fact, they make their point right from the start. The cover photo of the book features the J. Hammond General Merchandise store and was taken in August 1932.

In their five chapters, the Doyle’s outline the history of a small Maryland community, from its earliest days of small farms and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal through more modern days using a mix of photographs from their own collection, locals, the National Park Service, and other sources. This diversity of sources becomes one of the strengths of the book rather than relying on images from the Library of Congress that have been recycled over and over. Sure, there are quite a few  images from the National Park Service and the Washington County Historical Society, but I bet the vast majority of these photos will be new to readers.

Chapters include the Town, the People, the Battlefield, the Canal, and the Area. In less than 130 pages, the battlefield is only given fifteen direct pages. I don’t find that to be a problem and neither should other readers, even those interested primarily in the Civil War. Even with the destructive impact that the Battle of Antietam had, it is important to realize the community was there before and still remains there today.

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Interesting photos to me included that of Nancy Campbell (page 61) a freed slave, who at the time was described at a woman of “extraordinary good conduct and good character as proven to us by the testimony of William Rulett.” The chapter dealing with the C&O Canal showed just how important this was in diversifying job opportunities at the time. Other photos show just how similar our worlds are. Smiling groups of school children could be from most any community. Church groups  and choirs could be interchangeable with towns in the south or the west. Local baseball teams might play on fields across the country if not for SHARPSBURG being emblazoned on their uniforms.

Each image is accompanied by a few lines of text, explaining to readers/viewers what they are seeing. The authors do not have a lot of space available for these captions and many are quite short thought others do go into more detail. These are easy to read and make each chapter easily digestible at a sitting.

And yet, while the Doyle’s do an admirable job of trying to keep the focus off the battle, one can’t help but return to September 1862. Period prints, with images of the Dunker Church, and armed men in rows ready for battle mix with later views of the Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge. While president Franklin Roosevelt pays his respects during the 1937, 75th anniversary commemoration, a Lions Club meets on the battlefield for a group photo with a piece of artillery in 1962.

Can Sharpsburg ever shed its Civil War association? No, and the question really should be, would it want to.

Antietam Photographic Legacy of America's Bloodiest DayFor those looking for insights into the Battle or a heavily Battle focused book this is not for you. If battle images are what you seek, I strongly recommend Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of America’s Bloodiest Day. For those interested in the community, and perhaps what the real Sharpsburg has been in addition to a bloody battlefield, this book is recommended.

 

 

 

If you would like to read more of my book reviews, please use this link.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.

 

Civil War Times

SUBSCRIBE to Civil War Times and save. Keep up with the latest scholarship from well known historians. Published 6 times per year, your first issue will be in your mailbox quickly.

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Book Review Shiloh National Military Park (Images of America)

Shiloh National Military Park book cover

Book Review Shiloh National Military Park

Thank you for taking time to read my book review of Shiloh National Military Park. Here, two experts will take you on a visual tour of the important battlefield and modern day military park.

McCutchen, Brian K., and Timothy B. Smith. Shiloh National Military Park (Images of America). Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2012. ISBN 9780738591353. B/W photos. 127 pages. $21.99.

When armies under the commands of Ulysses S. Grant and Albert Sidney Johnston faced off on April 6 and 7, 1862, they could not have realized the carnage that would be left on the Tennessee battlefield. The Battle of Shiloh left almost 24,000 soldiers dead, wounded, missing, or captured, a staggering sum that included Confederate General Johnston.

In 1866, Pittsburg National Cemetery was established by the War Department; a name later changed to Shiloh National Cemetery in 1889.

Established on December 27, 1894, Shiloh National Military Park now serves as a reminder of those terrible two days of fighting that helped set in motion the events of the next three years. The park first operated under the guidance of the War Department but was moved to the National Park Service in 1933.

This 1894 legislation allowed for participating states to place monuments and memorials on the park grounds. The park as we know it today was beginning to take shape.

The Images of America series of books does an excellent job of providing access to usually older photos that the general public may not otherwise have the opportunity to view. In Shiloh National Military Park, authors Brian K. McCutchen and Timothy B. Smith achieve this standard, using images from the park collection.

Book Review Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh Conquer or Perish book cover. Click to order.McCutchen is a former park ranger at Shiloh and has served at other national parks. Timothy B. Smith is a professor of history at the University of Tennessee, Martin. He is a leading scholar on the Battle of Shiloh and has authored what many consider the definitive volume on the battle, Shiloh: Conquer or Perish.

In this Images of America title, the authors showcase just over 200 images, broken into seven chapters. As might be expected in a collection spanning longer than 150 years, some images have reproduced much better than others. Occasionally there are images that seem a bit fuzzy and hazy. This is not a major distraction however. Each image contains a caption with most being around fifty words. The captions are easy to read and bring additional life to the images. 

I particularly enjoyed the chapter titled, “Memories in Stone and Bronze: Monuments of Shiloh.” This chapter highlights just a few of the more than 150 monuments that are located throughout the 4,000+ acres of the park. As McCutchen and Smith state, “To the veterans of America’s first monster battle…the statuary was much more. It embodied full representations of the brave solders of North and South and thus told the stories that they wished to convey to future generations.: (p.57)

A little-known aspect of the battlefield that the authors cover is the cyclone of October 14, 1909. This storm, that appears to have been building throughout the day, killed seven and injured thirty-three. Damage to the park and cemetery were considerable with Congress ultimately allocating $8,000 for the national cemetery and almost $20,000 for repairs and reconstruction at the park. In just over a dozen photos, the damage to the park is shown, with trees uprooted, buildings destroyed, and monuments smashed.

The beauty of a book such as this is its simplicity. A reader can know nothing of the battle and still enjoy the rich history on the pages, the book serving as a potential gateway to further study. For those knowledgeable on the battle and the terrain of the battlefield there is still plenty to learn here. Chances are good that many of the images will be new, even to seasoned students of the battle.

 This is not a new release, and the reality is, an expert such as Smith could probably release several similar volumes. Recommended for anybody studying the battle or planning to visit the Shiloh National Military Park.

Thank you for reading my book review of Shiloh National Military Park. I invite you to read more of my book reviews of Arcadia Publishing titles by using THIS LINK. 

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Civil War Generals of Indiana Book Review

Civil War Generals of Indiana

Civil War Generals of Indiana Book ReviewKramer, Carl E. Civil War Generals of Indiana. Charleston: History Press. 2022. 140 pages, 136 pages of text. Bibliography, b/w images. ISBN 9781467151955, $23.99.

In his acknowledgements and introduction, author Dr. Carl E. Kramer, states that this book has been an off and on-again project for more than sixty years having started it while a freshman in high school in 1961. As with any student new to Civil War studies, the term “General” can be confusing at best, thus Kramer’s long-term quest for clarity.

What Classifies a General for this Book

Let’s count down the opportunities for use of the title along with Dr. Kramer. There are those who receive appointment to the rank of general (brigadier and higher). Of course, during the Civil War that could mean in the regular army or as a general of volunteers. The President of the United States nominates a soldier to the rank of general. The Senate confirms nominations.

Second, you have Brevet Generals, those receiving a sort of temporary promotion to the rank but no real promotion. These brevets were often handed out based upon some noteworthy battle achievement most often made by a colonel or maybe even lieutenant colonel. You weren’t going to be made a brevet general from the rank of sergeant. Brevets to lower officer positions were also possible during the war.

The third opportunity for using the rank of general is from State Troops. These were most often militia groups and the appointment was made by the state governor.

Finally, you have those men who were just called general. They may have received the nickname for being a local leader, maybe it was sarcastic, or perhaps they gave themselves the moniker and it stuck for whatever reason. Needless to say, these men were not generals in the way Kramer is using the term.

 

How Did Kramer Decide Who is a Hoosier

Andrew Wagenhoffer points out that the issue of determining who is a Hoosier and who isn’t, is a tricky one. Then, as now, people moved around. Family members often followed each other, at times following perceived economic or educational opportunities.

In determining if a “general” was eligible for inclusion, Kramer relied heavily on the standard work in the field, Generals in Blue written by Ezra Kramer. For state level generals, he relied upon Indiana in the War of the Rebellion, a multi volume report issued in 1869 and available in a reprint edition.

Determining a tie to Indiana became more difficult for Dr. Kramer as this can mean differing things to different people. Kramer settled on three criteria for inclusion in his book. The first is birth; anyone born in Indiana who met the other criteria is included. The second qualifying criteria is for men who were born elsewhere but relocated to Indiana and spent a significant part of their lives in the state. The term “significant” is not defined and so this criterion remains vague. The final criteria that merits inclusion is for men “who arrived in Indiana early in the war, played an important role in organizing the state’s military operations and maintained a significant presence after the war.” This criterion is again vague and open to interpretation as the terms important and significant are not defined.

Nomatic

The Book Itself

Ultimately, Dr. Kramer has decided upon 121 men; including 44 full United States generals, 1 Confederate general (Francis Asbury Shoup), 62 Union brevet generals, and 14 state service generals. Twenty-one generals were born in Indiana as were 24 brevet generals.

Robert Huston Milroy courtesy Library of Congress
Major General Robert Huston Milroy
Image courtesy Library of Congress

Most of the biographies are one page long. A large number of the entries contain a photo, the majority of which are from the Library of Congress. The short length of each entry makes this book appropriate to pick up and put down at your leisure. Each biography can be read in a matter of a few minutes allowing readers the flexibility to read multiple titles without worries of being bogged down. Biographies can be read in any order with no concern about being confused.

One drawback I did note is that the book does not contain end/foot notes. There is a two-page bibliography however. For me, I would have found it helpful, or at least interesting, if Dr. Kramer had listed a recommended biography (if available) for each of the entries. Brief introductions to these interesting men could leave some readers wanting more. Overall, for a book of this nature these are minor quibbles. It is also possible that the author reached his word count limit. Arcadia/History Press try to stick to specific word counts in order to keep their titles within a page limit and thus helping control price.

This book should be considered by readers interested in the role of Indiana in the Civil War. Available at a budget friendly price it allows for a handy reference rather than trying to find Indiana generals at random in Warner.

Arcadia Publishing has generously provided a complimentary review copy of this book. Arcadia Publishing has also published five titles I have written as of the date of this post. My relationship with Arcadia Publishing does not influence my reviews of their titles.

If you would like to read book reviews of other Arcadia/History Press titles, please click HERE. 

 

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Book Review: Your Sheep are all Counted South of the Border Billboards

South of the Border

Capelotti, P.J. Your Sheep are all Counted: A Roadside Archaeology of South of the Border Billboards. Pelham, AL: Whitman Publishing, LLC, 2022. Foreword by Stephanie Stuckey. 266 pages, 253 pages of text, color photos, index, bibliography, ISBN 9780794849771, $29.95.

The road trip. It’s as American as well, a Stuckey’s pecan log roll. For travelers on US-301, now part of I-95, South of the Border was, and still is, a destination unto itself. Whether you were headed north or south, dozens of billboards bombarded your senses making it difficult to not stop at the Hamer, South Carolina attraction.

 

If the road weary family needed food, drinks (alcoholic or non), a hotel room, a campsite, gas, a place for the kids to run around and get some energy out, or maybe just a good laugh at the crass commercialism of the entire place, South of the Border made for the perfect stopping place.

South of the Border
Welcome to South of the Border

South of the Border was the brainchild of Alan Schafer, an entrepreneur with a mind for marketing that comes along only rarely. Schafer opened South of the Border in 1949 as a small outlet to sell beer in response to a ban on alcohol in Robeson County, North Carolina. Thus, the name “South of the Border.” The border of North and South Carolina.

Over the years the highway system around the business changed and South of the Border grew to fill the needs of travelers. Schafer added hotel rooms and camping sites, restaurants, souvenir shops, playgrounds, and more. Putting the attraction into perspective, Capelotti states, “At more than 1,200 acres, it is more than seven times the size of Walt Disney’s original Disneyland in Anaheim, California—a roadside empire built on a bottle of beer.” (Page 2)

In addition to the roadside attraction came the advertising, the focus of this book. In this excellent book, Capelotti presents the reader with a story of several hundred images of billboards that made South of the Border famous. These images have been captured from South of the Border archives, photos from the John Margolies collection at the Library of Congress, and finally searching for and photographing billboards still in the wild; an ordeal that is not without a bit of danger due to the increases in traffic.

In a forty-year career, John Margolies created what the Library of Congress calls “one of the most comprehensive documentary studies of vernacular commercial structures along main streets, byways, and highways throughout the United States in the twentieth century.” At nearly 12,000 slides, the collection is enormous in its depth and quality. You can read a bit more about the Margolies collection on the LoC blog.

You Never Sausage a Place
You Never Saw Sausage a Place Courtesy Library of Congress

Capelotti puts forth that a reason for the success of South of the Border and for the billboard advertising is that Alan Schafer never allowed the business to be taken too seriously. The author points out that one of Schafer’s billboard trademarks was to make fun of himself, his products, and at times, his customers. An example provided is “He abbreviated South of the Border as S.O.B. and left the passing motorist to attach whatever meaning as might come to mind.” (Page 7)

The author breaks his book into chapters by billboard theme which works very well, allowing the reader to see the evolution of SOTB design. In short, but heavily illustrated chapters, Capelotti allows his reader to explore the evolution, and importance, of the billboard. As we are reminded, advertisers have only a few brief seconds to catch the attention of a driver speeding along the interstate. It is important for them to grab your attention and leave a lasting impression. South of the Border has been an expert at that for seventy years.

The billboards went through various theme changes such as a black background, a yellow background, the use of sombreros and serapes, and changes to the beloved mascot, Pedro, who evolved in appearance throughout the years but continues to make appearances. While there were changes, there has been a consistency as well. The use of bright colors, a familiar and repetitive font style, a heavy reliance on puns (often with double entendre), Pedro, and the famous mileage counter. This mileage counter made sure travelers could not miss the attraction.

Camp Pedro
Camp Pedro Courtesy Library of Congress

Shafer was known for his word play with a great example pitting north versus south. An early example started life as “Southern Cookin’, Yankee Prices” playing on stereotypes of Southern speech and Yankee cheapness. When this slogan finally made it to the public sight it had been toned down a bit to “Southern Cookin’, Yankee Style.” The point was still driven home, and if you didn’t get it, the use of both Union and Confederate flags would reinforce the meaning. In one billboard that was still fighting the Civil War, a clearly nervous Pedro, in full Mexican regalia, stands to the left looking at the flags out of the corner of his eye with a concerned smile. (page 57)

 

 

This is a fun book, but one also with historical importance. The billboard has evolved and is now often the home of competing legal firms (For the People). Electronic billboards make what was never meant to be permanent, even more fleeting. South of the Border has a nostalgic feeling for anybody who traveled south (to an extent north, but mostly south), along the east coast of America. Those road trips to Florida would not have been the same without South of the Border. Both the book and the attraction are recommended!

For those interested in even more history of this cultural icon; the American Road Trip, I recommend the following titles:

Don’t Make Me Pull Over! An Informal History of the Family Road Trip  See my review here.

Ratay offers “an amiable guide…fun and informative” (New York Newsday) that “goes down like a cold lemonade on a hot summer’s day” (The Wall Street Journal). In hundreds of amusing ways, he reminds us of what once made the Great American Family Road Trip so great, including twenty-foot “land yachts,” oasis-like Holiday Inn “Holidomes,” “Smokey”-spotting Fuzzbusters, twenty-eight glorious flavors of Howard Johnson’s ice cream, and the thrill of finding a “good buddy” on the CB radio.

 

 

Stuckey’s

Beginning as a single roadside stand selling pecans in Eastman, Georgia, by the 1950s, the name Stuckey’s was synonymous throughout the South with candy, souvenirs, clean restrooms, and the other necessities of automobile travel. During the 1960s, the Stuckey’s stores moved into the new frontier of the interstate highways, where quite often they sat alone at the exits like oases in the middle of a desert. Their bright aqua-colored rooftops were a welcome beacon for those who had been driving long distances. Travel has changed a lot since then, but Stuckey’s can still be found along the nation’s highways, still providing dozens of types of candy and nuts, plus the same mix of souvenirs, as always. Anyone need a rubber alligator or a pecan log?

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. All views and opinions provided are my own and are never influenced by affiliate programs or sponsors providing products.

 

 

Stuckey's Pecan Log Roll--2 ounce bar
Do you want to recall the great family road trip experience? Try sharing a Stuckey’s Pecan Log Roll with your kids! Click the photo or THIS LINK to order.