Words of War: The Civil War Battle Reportage of the New York Times and the Charleston Mercury and What the Historians Say really Happened
As we celebrate our nation s birthday, it s a good time to remember how close we came to tearing ourselves apart during the Civil War. Do you ever wonder how the people who lived through it got their news about its battles and other events? Thanks to Donagh Bracken, you can read The Words of War: The Civil War Battle Reportage of The New York Times and The Charleston Mercury...and What Historians Say Really Happened. This is a fascinating insight to those times because newspapers sent correspondents to the battlefields to report back to the northern and southern home fronts. The reports were filtered through the views of the combatants and, happily, this book reveals how the events actually occurred. The Charleston Mercury was ablaze with the passion for secession. The New York Times defended the Union. Of interest to a journalist like myself is the language of the times which was more florid than modern styles, but it was clear that the readers felt well served by the news, for good or ill. What the reader gains is the temper of the times, the very human striving involved, the vast carnage, and the commitment to the aims of the war, whether for or against Union. --Bookview.comThe Words of Warwill appeal to a wide variety of audiences, Civil War buffs, journalists and history srudents will find a great deal of value in the book...The book reads easily and provides information and perspective that even the most diehard of Civil War buffs will find new and enlightening. Bracken's effort is a solid one. --International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors