Blood Image: Turner Ashby in the Civil War and the Southern Mind (Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War)

Rating:
Summary: Blood Image
Review: Blood Image is a story of mentalities, not a biography, as the introduction and even the title make clear.

Anderson presents an interesting study of Southern mentalities, ideals of chivalry and honor (with a fascinating aside on horses), and how Turner Ashby, as both chivalric and violent, provided his supporters with a vital image with which to construct their wartime behavior.

Occasionally Anderson's prose is not as lucid as it might be, and he doesn't distinguish Ashby's supporters demographically as clearly as I wish he had. Coming from the Shenandoah Valley area as they did, one imagines that some of his followers were really from the mountains: did they share images of chivalry? In addition, I'd have liked to see more quotes from the irregular cavalrymen who presumably made up most of the supporters Anderson is studying.

Overall, I found this to be an interesting, if not flawless, study of mentalities, and a unique addition to Civil War scholarship. Anderson's descriptions of Ashby's personal experiences are especially vivid.

Rating:
Summary: Turner Ashby- Blood Image
Review: I rated this book very low as I was looking for a new book on a relative sparce topic Gen. Turner Ashby. I thought the book went into detail about the social "southern attitude" before the Civil War. I wish it had more "Turner Ashby" and less social commentary. I also didn't see anything new in the book, mostly
quoted "Avirett" who still appears to have written the best book
of Gen. Turner Ashby. I would like to see a writer take on the
project of doing a updated biography of 'Ashby" as he was a very
unique officer in the "Civil War. This book "Blood Image" did not
do that.
Bruce Borden
7695 Main St.
Middletown, Va.
22645

Rating:
Summary: Turner Ashby- Blood Image
Review: I rated this book very low as I was looking for a new book on a relative sparce topic Gen. Turner Ashby. I thought the book went into detail about the social "southern attitude" before the Civil War. I wish it had more "Turner Ashby" and less social commentary. I also didn't see anything new in the book, mostly
quoted "Avirett" who still appears to have written the best book
of Gen. Turner Ashby. I would like to see a writer take on the
project of doing a updated biography of 'Ashby" as he was a very
unique officer in the "Civil War. This book "Blood Image" did not
do that.
Bruce Borden
7695 Main St.
Middletown, Va.
22645