Rating: 
Summary: What it must have really been like
Review: As an amatuer student of your Civil War (nothing to rival that conflict has ever happened here in Australian history). I found this book not only informative but also genuinely moving as an account of life as a private soldier in that terrible (and intruiging) conflict. The story follows the entire military service of Sam Watkins and deals mostly with his experiences in the Western Theatre under such commanders as Bragg, Hood and Johnston. Impressions are also given of Lee and Jackson.Where this book is entirely different from the run of the mill historical accounts is its disregard (generally) of the broad brush approach and concentrates on the concerns of the individual, such as finding food, morale, attitudes to not only his enemy but to the other soldiers he fought alongside. A story that can be highly amusing on one page and tragic on the next I would reccomend this book to any student of the Civil War. Ken Burns (of Civil War documentary fame) rates this book highly. So it is a shame to find that he "selectively" quotes (and misquotes) from the pages of this excellent work.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Darn Good!
Review: I have to admit to being an unabashed lover of truly good personal narratives on the Civil War. They help us get away from the big picture to see what really happened and how the experiences impacted the participants. Sam Watkins' work is as good as it gets. Sam's experience, stretching the entire span of the war, is quite simply amazing. Joining the Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment, he fights in all its major battles from Shiloh to Nashville. This is the story of combat, told by a veteran who not only fought hard but consistently. No shirker here, it is a wonder that he survived. His description of the action at Kennesaw Mountain will take your breath away.
Rating:
Summary: A Fine Civil War Memoir
Review: I would not really recommend Company Aytch to those who are totally unfamiliar with the history of the Civil War. Watkins does not describe in detail the events of the various battles he took part in. Major battles like Shiloh and Chickamauga are covered in a few pages. Thus a reader unfamiliar with what took place might be somewhat confused regarding the overall picture, for these memoirs are not really history, or if they are history, they are history in miniature. But it is this fact which makes them so vital and so interesting. Watkins is a fine writer and he vividly describes what it was like to be a Confederate soldier. His account is frequently very funny, often moving and at times horrific. Thus he fleshes out the events which standard history books describe in general terms. Most history books would tell of which regiment attacked which at the 'Dead Angle' on Kennesaw Mountain, describe how many died on each side and fit it into the account of the Rebel retreat to Atlanta, but Watkins places the reader alongside him actually fighting this vicious battle. Watkins is also very good on the topic of the daily life of the Confederate soldier, his struggle to find adequate food and clothing and the tough discipline which could see a soldier shot by his own side for a relatively minor indiscretion. Watkins describes numerous executions through the course of the book and they are harrowing. The quality of the writing in Company Aytch varies somewhat. At times Watkins can be repetitive, especially with his overly frequent statements that he is not writing history. His often-expressed, and fully understandable, hope to meet his fallen comrades in the hereafter tends towards a clichéd vision of heaven. But Watkins can also mock 19th century piety, as when he describes the response of the soldiers to a parson's sermon prior to the battle of Chickamauga. In this way he shows how he could move beyond the conventions of his time. It is this ability which makes Watkins such an original writer, at times even an experimental writer. Not all the experiments work, but when they do they leave a lasting and lively impression of what the Civil War must really have been like. This edition of Company Aytch edited by M. Thomas Inge, includes a useful introduction, chronology and glossary, plus various other examples of Watkins's writing. These additional pieces are generally expansions of Company Aytch, providing further information and descriptions of events not fully described in the text.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: If you have an interest in buying the book i would say you are probably already familiar with the Civil War, and therefore would have a bsic knowledge of the War. This book really is best for describing one person's experiences, instead (as Watkins acknowledges) of being a complete history. It is good because it captures the spirit of the southern soldier, adventerous and young and ready to fight. One of the remarkable things about the book is that innocent respect that Watkins keeps for the Leaders of the Confederacy, even when he expresses that they were "incompetant" (Hood and Davis). It is something that you wouldn't find in a Memoir by a Viet-Nam era veteran; even though Watkins expresses the same resentment that a soldier of that era would express against the officer corps. Watkins also had a genuine talent for prose that comes through. this is especially evident in the way he describes the disintegration of the Army of the Tennesee at war's end. He emerges as a complex figure. religious and respectful of death, but able to kill- in his words- like a machine. Weakness of the book- Watkins gets names and facts confused.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: If you have an interest in buying the book i would say you are probably already familiar with the Civil War, and therefore would have a bsic knowledge of the War. This book really is best for describing one person's experiences, instead (as Watkins acknowledges) of being a complete history. It is good because it captures the spirit of the southern soldier, adventerous and young and ready to fight. One of the remarkable things about the book is that innocent respect that Watkins keeps for the Leaders of the Confederacy, even when he expresses that they were "incompetant" (Hood and Davis). It is something that you wouldn't find in a Memoir by a Viet-Nam era veteran; even though Watkins expresses the same resentment that a soldier of that era would express against the officer corps. Watkins also had a genuine talent for prose that comes through. this is especially evident in the way he describes the disintegration of the Army of the Tennesee at war's end. He emerges as a complex figure. religious and respectful of death, but able to kill- in his words- like a machine. Weakness of the book- Watkins gets names and facts confused.
Rating: 
Summary: Typo Errors
Review: Mr. Inge's indexes, and the extra letters by Sam Watkins, are a good addition. However, these good points are far outweighed by the many typographical errors in the main book. For example, on p. 37, it should read "ground scuffle", nor "ground shuffle"; on P.62, several sentences left out; on p. 81, it is a "string-haltered" horse, not a "string-halted" horse; on p. 84, it should read "we will meet again over yonder", not "we will meet yonder". As I have not read but part of the book, I am sure there are many more errors. Buy the book Co. Aytch, it is great; just buy another edition rather than this one edited by Thomas Inge.
Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful, Humorous and Poignant Memory of the Civil War
Review: Sam Watkins produced a series of articles for his local paper about twenty years after the War Between the States, which allowed his memory to treat the conflict with a little humor, but still captures the feelings and emotions of a combat soldier in the momentous time period between 1861 and 1865. Like Elisha Hunt Rhodes from Rhode Island, Sam incredibly lasted for the whole war, one of only about 5% of his regiment who survived the conflict! His telling of the events is laid back, honest, and treated with both respect for the dead and honor for the suvivors, and with subtle humour throughout. A hard book to put down from start to finish, regardless of which side your ancestors fought on (or even if you didn't have ancestors who fought...) Sam's memories were used in the production of Ken Burn's documentary on the Civil War, together with Rhodes', providing the common soldier's perspective of the event. You will understand a lot more about the real conditions of the time period after reading this insightful book!
Rating:
Summary: Well Told Private's View of Confederate Service
Review: Sam Watkins writes a novel like autobiography of his years with the Army of Tennessee. His service saw the front lines of every major battle including Shiloh, Chickamagua, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Franklin and Nashville. Amazingly, this rebel came through intact and lived to vividly record his experiences. This book is much more impressionistic than a historic telling of the facts (which Watkins reminds the reader frequently). It lays bare the attitude of a rebel private (although one suspects Watkins is much more literate and sophistocated than many of his fellows in the ranks) who endured starvation, forced marches, punishing battles and the monotony and arbitrary nature of camp life while serving a losing cause. Watkins does an excellent job of letting the reader into his head. He reveals well the base existence and actions of ordinary soldiers who paid for the drama of the Civil War with their youth, blood and life.
Rating:
Summary: Well Told Private's View of Confederate Service
Review: Sam Watkins writes a novel like autobiography of his years with the Army of Tennessee. His service saw the front lines of every major battle including Shiloh, Chickamagua, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Franklin and Nashville. Amazingly, this rebel came through intact and lived to vividly record his experiences. This book is much more impressionistic than a historic telling of the facts (which Watkins reminds the reader frequently). It lays bare the attitude of a rebel private (although one suspects Watkins is much more literate and sophistocated than many of his fellows in the ranks) who endured starvation, forced marches, punishing battles and the monotony and arbitrary nature of camp life while serving a losing cause. Watkins does an excellent job of letting the reader into his head. He reveals well the base existence and actions of ordinary soldiers who paid for the drama of the Civil War with their youth, blood and life.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: The point of this book, as Watkins himself stated, was to provide a forum for a private in the First Tennessee Regiment, a participant from the first battle to the final surrender, to write down what he remembers and how he felt during the ordeal. The result is beautiful at times. This book, from which exerpts were taken for Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, provides a unique and important view of the conflict, but the reader must begin it by understanding its purpose and then may glean from it great insight.
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