Re: The shift from Political History to Social History
Curt,
You're quite right. Once all of the Cattons, Rheas, and Sears and countless others have covered these battles, in some cases many times over, most readers or even serious buffs have had their fill. Then comes the aspects of battles, or stories within them not yet told, which can be good study and good reads, in addition to all of the other social history studies that come along. I can remember even Rhea did this with the lifestory of an individual soldier at Spottslyvania (title escapes me now).
Certainly there are still battles and campaigns that need revisiting or in some cases still call for the definitive book, but I think the future of CW history will be in the continued and growing focus on the "people" of those times, soldiers and civilians alike.
Sam Dolan
Originally posted by Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
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You're quite right. Once all of the Cattons, Rheas, and Sears and countless others have covered these battles, in some cases many times over, most readers or even serious buffs have had their fill. Then comes the aspects of battles, or stories within them not yet told, which can be good study and good reads, in addition to all of the other social history studies that come along. I can remember even Rhea did this with the lifestory of an individual soldier at Spottslyvania (title escapes me now).
Certainly there are still battles and campaigns that need revisiting or in some cases still call for the definitive book, but I think the future of CW history will be in the continued and growing focus on the "people" of those times, soldiers and civilians alike.
Sam Dolan
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