"It is well that war is so terrible - lest we should grow too fond of it."
- Robert E. Lee
"War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over."
- William T. Sherman
I've been delving into American history lately. I recently finished reading 1776 by David McCullough and His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis. Both were interesting and insightful, but the former was more pleasing to read than the latter. McCullough's style is fluid. His narrative flows smoothly with the numerous quotes he uses. A moment in history becomes a gripping story in his treatment. There was more suspense and drama in his work of nonfiction than in some pieces of fiction I've read.
Two week ago, I finished watching Ken Burns' The Civil War, an engaging, educational and moving documentary series that combined photos, first-person readings, narration and music to bring that period in the nation's history to life. I grew fond of listening to Shelby Foote's anecdotes and following the journey of individual soldiers like Elijah Hunt Rhodes (Union) and Sam Watkins (Confederate).
In watching the special features on the DVD, it was inspiring to hear Ken Burns speak so passionately about history. History may be so yesterday, but to Burns, history is right now. It's everything that has led to this very moment. His favorite quote, which he repeats at least four times on the disc, is by William Faulkner, "History is not was. History is." The past still affects us. More than a century later, America still feels the repercussions of the Revolution and the Reconstruction.
I can trace the cause for my renewed interest in history back to Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, which I read a couple months ago. That led to 1776 and His Excellency. Those, in turn, led to the biographies of Alexander Hamilton and Tony Blair. I know Blair is not American, but due to recent events and England's ties with the U.S., I thought it would be interesting to learn more about him.
Naturally, I stopped about fifty pages into Blair because I discovered a historical mystery series by Owen Parry that has monopolized my reading time over the last week. He has written six books involving Major Abel Jones, a Union officer assigned to solve murder cases for the army during the Civil War. Parry is amazing with his historical accuracy and sense of action. His characters are crisp and authentic. His hero is flawed, but sympathetic. Jones isn't a modern day hero set in the past, but a man of his time who interacts with the fictional and historical figures of his time.
I don't know how long my enthusiasm for the past will last, but if I had my way at this moment, I would want it to be a lifelong interest.
2 Comments
I read a book about Ulysses S. Grant a few years ago and, at the end of the war, he allowed his Union officers to meet with Confederate officers some of whom had gone to West Point together. I thought it was touching that some of them would say, "I thought I saw you at this place or another. Was that you?"
It was interesting that so many of the officers had gone to school together and had served together before joining respective sides. One of the most moving accounts was of Generals Sherman and Johnston. They opposed one another in Georgia, but after the war became good friends. Johnston attended Sherman's funeral, which took place on a rainy day. He subsequently caught a cold that led to his own death two weeks later.