A worse place than hell : how the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg changed a nation / John Matteson.
"Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Matteson illuminates three harrowing months of the Civil War and their ineradicable legacy for America. In December 1862, the Battle of Fredericksburg shattered Union forces and threatened to break apart Abraham Lincoln's government. Five extraordinary individuals experienced Fredericksburg's cataclysmic repercussions - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Walt Whitman, Louisa May Alcott, John Pelham, and Arthur Fuller. Guided by duty, driven by desire, they moved toward lofty destinies: a young Harvard intellectual steeped in courageous ideals, a gay Brooklyn poet condemned by guardians of propriety, a struggling writer desperate to serve the cause and gain her philosopher father's admiration, a West Point cadet from Alabama excelling in artillery tactics, and a one-eyed minister seeking to prove his manhood. Because of what they saw and suffered, America, too, would never be the same. In A Worse Place Than Hell, John Matteson creates a gripping tale of the Civil War and profound cultural transformation. He etches an exquisite portrait, revealing through these lives how America was redefined by its most tragic conflict."-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780393247077
- ISBN: 0393247074
- Physical Description: xvii, 510 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition
- Publisher: New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., [2021]
- Copyright: ©2021
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 437-498 and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- The poet's son -- The blond artillerist -- Burnside's bridge and a Broadway bar -- An army in crisis -- A man of God -- "The most beautiful girl runner" -- "Beauty" and "Sallie" -- "Believe me, we shall never lick 'em" -- Caroline Street -- Pelham does first rate -- The stone wall -- Southbound trains -- "A worse place than hell" -- The prince of patients -- "Death itself has lost all its terrors" -- "Our fearful journey home" -- The song of the hermit thrush -- St. Patrick's Day, 1863 -- "The duty of fighting has ceased for me" -- "To act with enthusiasm and faith."
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr., 1841-1935.
Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892.
Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888.
Pelham, John, 1838-1863.
Fuller, Arthur B. (Arthur Buckminster), 1822-1862.
Fredericksburg, Battle of, Fredericksburg, Va., 1862 > Social aspects.
United States > History > Civil War, 1861-1865 > Influence.
Available copies
- 18 of 18 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 18 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Main Library | 973.733 MAT (Text) | 36015000526612 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
