Böcker av James H. Meredith

This intriguing study examines the truth behind the myths and misconceptions that defined the American Civil War, as portrayed through the popular literary works of the time.The Civil War Era: A Historical Exploration of Literature examines the tremendous change the American Civil War brought to society as reflected in the literature of the time. It delves into the cultural, historical, and literary contexts of the era, looking beyond common conceptions and instead reflecting on the era's complexities and contradictions.The book profiles key American literature related to the war, both on and off the battlefield, including Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage, Ambrose Bierce's "Chickamauga," Louisa May Alcott's Hospital Sketches, the Civil War poems of Walt Whitman and Herman Melville, and Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address." This book serves to demonstrate how profoundly the actions on the Civil War battlefield shaped American politics, society, and the arts.

This text provides an analysis of World War II literature, with an historical overview of the particular aspect of the war covered to aid understanding of context. It offers primary documents to bridge history and fictional accounts, and suggests topics for discussion and papers.

Much can be learned about both the historic and human impact of war by studying the literary output associated with the time period during and immediately after the event. This casebook help students build bridges between WWI history and the fictional accounts provided by such works as All Quiet on the Western Front, A Farewell to Arms, and A Son at the Front. For each work, insightful analysis and historical contextualization is provided. This unique casebook approach adds another layer of understanding for readers by relating the fiction to primary documents assembled from the war years, including historic treaties, speeches, military reports, original propaganda, and personalized journal accounts from soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Readers are exposed to a diversity of perspectives from the military leadership, diplomacy, soldiers in battle and families on the homefront. A chronology helps readers situate the significant events described within the historic timeframe.