Lens of War: Exploring Iconic Photographs of the Civil War (Uncivil Wars)

Historians must agonise over the thousands of pictures lost or deliberately destroyed after the war, if only because the American Civil War was the first in history from which we have a comprehensive photographic record. Photography itself was barely twenty years old at the time, so this collection is as much a record of the early history of the art as it is of the conflict.This book is a lovely collection of essays by scholars describing their favourite images from the war, and what it is that attracted them. Inevitably, not everyone's favourite will be included (mine too), but as a bonus there are also some images here which will be new to many. The result is a selection which gives a valuable insight into one of the watershed moments in the history of the American nation.

What a great idea! Ask 26 of the most prominent historians of the Civil War to choose a Civil War photograph and write an essay on it. The choices are divided into five sections: photos of leaders, soldiers, civilians, victims and placesThe variety of the results are terrific. Some essayists chose to provide a detailed analysis of the photo itself, such as Hans Holzer's exploration of why there are comparatively so many photos of Lincoln or Joan Waugh's insightful examination of what a casual pose of General Grant says about him as a man. Others choose to reveal why a particular photo inspired them to become an historian. Still others choose to illuminate an obscure corner of the Civil War, such as Elizabeth Varon's fascinating account of how City Point, Virginia, rose from hamlet to "nerve center of the Union war effort" to hamlet again, all in two years. The book ends appropriately with Steven Woodworth's superb account of the Grand Review, the North's victory parade.In fact, what I considered to be the weakest essay yielded, on reflection, the strongest lesson of the book. Jane Schultz writes about a photo of a woman named Annie Etheridge Hooks. Ms. Hooks appears to have had an unusual war. She accompanied a Michigan regiment through a large part of the war. She was apparently much beloved of the soldiers. Was she a nurse? A camp follower? A mascot? None of it is clear. Instead Ms. Schultz devotes her time to speculating whether Ms. Hooks was a Native American because of her "high cheek bones" (shades of Elizabeth Warren!) and a long abstract discussion about gender assignments in 19th Century America. What we don't get is much about Annie Hooks.Now perhaps there is not much in the historical records about Annie Hooks as Ms. Schultz contents (although she doesn't mention whether she consulted the regimental history of Annie Hooks' regiment, certainly the first place one would look) and the author clearly sympathizes with Ms. Hooks, but the effect of her essay is to de-personalize, de-individualize and, consequently, de-humanize Annie Hooks, the same way that slavery tried to de-humanize African-Americans. Ms. Schultz's essay, then, is an important lesson that the great harm of stripping someone of their individuality was not confined to white Southern slaveowners, but is a constant threat to human dignity by all of us. We all are fighting our own Civil War. Lens of War reminds of how hard that can be.

The ones that are there are cool, it's just that there's not actually that many pictures. Definitely more text than pictures, which is a bit disappointing.

A book that succeeds on a number of levels. It provides the reader, whether new to the Civil War or one more familiar with this great combat, with a series of informative essays sparked by notable photographs. One usually learns something about the historian essayists themselves and about what is of special interest to them. It may be the horses and mules used in such quantity by the armies. It may be a key military staging area, such as City Point. It may be the slave newly freed still situated within the ruins of some Southern city.Or, it may be the photograph of a dashing southern general who fired the imagination of a boy who later became an historian.Unsurprisingly, these essays will prompt the interested reader to discover other and more detailed historical accounts.The editors, Gallman and Gallagher, have done a fine job in putting this volume forward to the public.

Great book for Civil War photos!

Great book, quick read (one sitting), the pictures turned out excellent on my Kindle Fire (large format).

Fascinating great for civil war buffs .This book is a time machine

I really enjoyed this book!

Very interesting about the civil war and early photography

Purchased this book as a gift.