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Rating: 
Summary: One of the best Civil War memoirs
Review: Few memoirs are both as entertaining and informative as this one. It is similar in many ways to "Co. Aytch" by Sam Watkins, the memoir quoted so heavily in the Ken Burns PBS series. One especially valuable aspect of Holt's reminiscences is that they begin well before the Civil War and afford a glimpse a pre-war life among the middle class in Mississippi. The editors have done a fine job of annotating the memoir, identifying individuals and events as well as pointing out Holt's occasional errors. As with most works of its type, the book deals more vividly with the happenings in camp and on the march between battles than with the battles themselves. Its chief weakness is that Holt wrote his memoirs many years after the war, so his recollections are inevitably tainted by things he learned afterward. It is recommended for any reader interested in the Civil War.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: Holt really conveys the attitudes, feelings, deep convictions, and courage displayed by those who fought in the war. (Not only on the Rebel side, but also on the Yankee side.) He also goes into some of the other reasons besides slavery, that caused the South to secede. Very well written and extremely interesting. It makes you feel as if you're right beside Holt following him as they go down in history. Also shows how life for the Confederate soldier was awfully harsh in the latter part of the war. Holt doesn't have shoes and is walking through snow along with men who are dying of starvation. Holt entertains readers by detailing what he and his group would do for fun, ie., sneaking away from camp to meet girls, etc.I knew Holt was in the 16th Miss. Co. K. I was hoping it would mention Co. H where my relative fought, but it didn't. Holt leaves for the war as a boy, but returns a man. Great book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read
Review: Holt really conveys the attitudes, feelings, deep convictions, and courage displayed by those who fought in the war. (Not only on the Rebel side, but also on the Yankee side.) He also goes into some of the other reasons besides slavery, that caused the South to secede. Very well written and extremely interesting. It makes you feel as if you're right beside Holt following him as they go down in history. Also shows how life for the Confederate soldier was awfully harsh in the latter part of the war. Holt doesn't have shoes and is walking through snow along with men who are dying of starvation. Holt entertains readers by detailing what he and his group would do for fun, ie., sneaking away from camp to meet girls, etc. I knew Holt was in the 16th Miss. Co. K. I was hoping it would mention Co. H where my relative fought, but it didn't. Holt leaves for the war as a boy, but returns a man. Great book. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Holt takes you with him through the war
Review: Holt's memoirs are entertaining as well as informative. This book becomes hard to put down as you read. Very good details of life in the Army of Northern Virginia. He gives the "personal" side of the war so often left out by other memoirs. Reading this book was like having Holt tell you the story himself. Excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Holt takes you with him through the war
Review: Holt's memoirs are entertaining as well as informative. This book becomes hard to put down as you read. Very good details of life in the Army of Northern Virginia. He gives the "personal" side of the war so often left out by other memoirs. Reading this book was like having Holt tell you the story himself. Excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Huck Finn joins the Confederacy!
Review: I've read about a dozen or so soldier memoirs/diary accounts, and this one ranks as one of the poorest. I find most of these have a generic nature to them - seems like if you've read one, you've read them all! Mr. Holt wrote this in his latter years, so Goodness knows how the years have treated his memory of things, although a fine editing job by Cockrell and Ballard keep things on the straight and narrow. Much of the memoirs involve Holt's escapades that have little to do with the war effort. Lot of it reads like a Mark Twain tale, with Holt often relating some of the hijinks and sit-com like situations he experienced as a soldier.
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