Synopses & Reviews
Lens of War grew out of an invitation to leading historians of the Civil War to select and reflect upon a single photograph. Each could choose any image and interpret it in personal and scholarly terms. The result is a remarkable set of essays by twenty-seven scholars whose numerous volumes on the Civil War have explored military, cultural, political, African American, womenandrsquo;s, and environmental history.
The essays describe a wide array of photographs and present an eclectic approach to the assignment, organized by topic: Leaders, Soldiers, Civilians, Victims, and Places. Readers will rediscover familiar photographs and figures examined in unfamiliar ways, as well as discover little-known photographs that afford intriguing perspectives. All the images are reproduced with exquisite care. Readers fascinated by the Civil War will want this unique book on their shelves, and lovers of photography will value the images and the creative, evocative reflections offered in these essays.
Contributors: Stephen Berry, William A. Blair, Stephen Cushman, Gary W. Gallagher, J. Matthew Gallman, Judith A. Giesberg, Joseph T. Glatthaar, Thavolia Glymph, Earl J. Hess, Harold Holzer, Caroline E. Janney, James Marten, Kathryn Shively Meier, Megan Kate Nelson, Susan Eva Oandrsquo;Donovan, T. Michael Parrish, Ethan S. Rafuse, Carol Reardon, James I. Robertson Jr., Jane E. Schultz, Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Brooks D. Simpson, Daniel E. Sutherland, Emory M. Thomas, Elizabeth R. Varon, Joan Waugh, Steven E. Woodworth.
Review
andldquo;The pioneering cameramen of the Civil War wrought shocking images that stir and haunt us still. Lens of War is likewise groundbreaking, an album of essays that mines 1860s photographs for new insight into the war and its memory. Images Iandrsquo;ve stared at since boyhoodandmdash;and others Iandrsquo;d never seenandmdash;come into fresh focus through the scholarly yet personal gaze of leading historians. This revelatory and highly readable book will captivate new and longtime students of the Civil War alike.andrdquo;andmdash;Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic and Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War
Review
andldquo;This book changes the way we see the American Civil War. By looking intently at photographsandmdash;some familiar and some rarely seenandmdash;these expert interpreters reveal aspects of the war visible in no other way. The elegant essays, like the images they examine, are windows into fascinating lives.andrdquo;andmdash;Edward L. Ayers, President, University of Richmond
Review
andquot;A brilliant starting point for truly understanding the Civil War.andquot; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
andquot;This collection of images, many of them familiar to Civil War enthusiasts,were selected to serve as a jumping-off point for the essays of 27 scholars on topics suggested by the photos. The photos, topics, and essays are an eclectic mix. By themselves, many of the photos would seem unremarkable, but the often brilliantly written essays compel the reader to view the photos with a fresh perspective. . . . Together, the photos and essays make a superb addition to Civil War collections.andquot; andmdash;Booklist
Review
andquot;Lens of War meets the promise of the simple observation that prompted its creation. Additionally, this book provides an excellent analysis of representative images. Perhaps most importantly however, these timeless photographs are the central focus of this volumeandmdash;a rare event among academics.andquot; andmdash;Military Images magazine
Review
andquot;The UnCivil Wars series . . . describes itself as and#39;dedicated to new ways of seeing and telling the American Civil War.and#39; Lens of War actually manages to tell the war by seeing it. Moreover, it illuminates not only how photographs shape our understandings and memories of the war, but also how we teach it, and how imagesandmdash;even in black and whiteandmdash;will always hold a special power the written world alone simply cannot supply. With all of this in mind, the book is highly recommended to historians of photography and visual culture (it even includes a very helpful resource on Civil War photographic histories), but for historians of the Civil War it isandmdash;without questionandmdash;a must read.andquot; andmdash;Matthew C. Hulbert, Civil War Monitor
About the Author
J. Matthew Gallman is a professor of history at the University of Florida and author of Mastering Wartime: A Social History of Philadelphia during the Civil War, Americaandrsquo;s Joan of Arc: The Life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, and the forthcoming Defining Duty in the Civil War: Personal Choice, Popular Culture, and the Union Home Front. Gary W. Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia and author of eight books, including Becoming Confederates: Paths to a New National Loyalty (Georgia), The Union War, and Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War.