A Year in the South: Four Lives in 1865

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and well-written
Review: A worm's-eye view of 1865 in the South as the Civil War grinds to a halt and social instability (verging on chaos) sets in. This is an excellent counterbalance to the big picture studies of Reconstruction which are too much policy and too little impact on daily life. Four wee-written biographies woven together; a book you will enjoy reading even if you start with no interest in the Civil War or the South.

Rating:
Summary: A good view of the aftermath of war
Review: Stephen Ash takes you into four entirely different lives in the South during early reconstruction. You will not leave this book without actually feeling the despair, sadness,panic and even rebellion that many southern folks felt immediately after their defeat.
Read about the devastation that ultimately comes out of war. A must for any Civil War library.

Rating:
Summary: So, Since Everyone Loves a Good Biograpy....
Review: Try this one, it has four!!

Steve Ash brings four lives so alive that one feels one can reach back 135 years and touch them. So too with the details of their daily lives. The author does a great job capturing what life was really like back in 1865.

His style of writing makes it even more fun to read as the characters' stories "leapfrog" with the seasons, which spurs the reader on and on!

A great, must read!

Ellen Cumming