Rating: 
Summary: Sam Watkins
Review: This is the best book I have ever read.
An absolutely amazing account of a
Civil war survivor. You will miss
Mr. Watkins when the book ends.
Rating:
Summary: A deserved classic
Review: This is the perfect civil war book and will satisfy the greenest novice or the most accomplished historian. Watkins writes brilliantly, naturally and in colloquial tones that have scarcely aged in the 130 years since he penned this memoir. It's exactly as if this marvelously likeable and funny soldier is sitting in your rocking chair, personally spinning yarns about his civil war experiences. It's that immediate and that real, as if you are accompanying him on every train, bivouac or battlefield.Watkins becomes part of you as you read on, like a treasured friend or talisman. It doesn't matter what side of the conflict you're on, whether you're a confirmed Yankee or passionate Rebel, it's simply impossible not to adore Watkins and his deft touches with the pen. He describes the terror of going into battle, the strange exhilaration of the battles aftermath and the realization you are still alive. His best moments are describing a visit to a field hospital where he sees his best friends intestines opened up in a gaping wound, with only minutes to live. His pathos and deep sentiment are prevelent throughout the book. Buy this book *now,* don't wait another moment. It's a book you will read and re-read throughout life, a deserved and enduring classic. Whether you care little or nothing about the American civil war, it matters little. This is a little masterpiece, pure and simple.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful account of life on the front lines
Review: Watkins' memoir of his service in the Army of Tennessee never disappoints; it is perhaps the most readable and accurate presentation of the life of a Confederate soldier I've ever read. Descriptions of the war's progress in the western theater are interspersed with harrowing accounts of the hardships of war imposed on both the soldiers and the civilian population of the Confederacy. I found Watkins' description of the siege of Atlanta to be a particularly moving presentation of the horrors of modern warfare. I was also impressed with Watkins' unflinching adherence to his belief in states' rights and his insistence that there really was a distinct culture in the South, and found myself laughing out loud at his account in the first and last chapters of the book concerning the differing viewpoints on the geography of North America. All in all, this is an extremely entertaining read, and one that doesn't take too much time to digest. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the personal side of the War Between the States.
Rating:
Summary: A real page turner!
Review: Written twenty years after the war, Private Watkins gives his account of serving with Company H, First Tennessee Regiment. Of the 120 original men in the unit, Watkins was only one of seven left at the end. If you enjoy reading about the civil war, you'll certainly enjoy this well written account of the life of a common Southern soldier.
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