Synopses & Reviews
The Civil War Veteran presents a profound but often troubling story of the postwar experiences of Union and Confederate Civil War veterans. Most ex-soldiers and their neighbors readjusted smoothly. However, many arrived home with or developed serious problems; poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, and other manifestations of post traumatic stress syndrome, such as flashbacks and paranoia, plagued these veterans. Black veterans in particular suffered a particularly cruel fate: they fought with distinction and for their freedom, but postwar racism obliterated recognition of their wartime contributions.
Despite these hardships, veterans found some help from federal and state governments, through the establishment of a national pension system and soldiers' homes. Yet veterans did not passively accept this assistance—some influenced and created policy in public office, while others joined together in veterans organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic to fight for their rights and to shape the collective memory of the Civil War. As the number of veterans from wars in the Middle East rapidly increases, the stories in the pages of The Civil War Veteran give us valuable perspective on the challenges of readjustment for ex-soldiers and American society.
Review
"A marvelous collection of essays, The Civil War Veteran provides an indispensable introduction to the problems the veterans faced and the contributions that they made. The bibliography alone is an invaluable resource." - Gaines M. Foster, author of Ghosts of the Confederacy: Defeat, the Lost Cause, and the Emergence of the New South
Review
“The well-chosen essays in The Civil War Veteran underscore the fact that a significant number of veterans from both sides faced serious problems after they returned home. . . .This anthology is highly recommended for all readers interested in understanding the complete legacy of the war.” - The Journal of America's Military Past
Review
"Never before has such a wide-ranging and excellent collection of readings on Civil War veterans been assembled in one place. A must have book for anyone interested in this topic." - Donald R. Shaffer, author of After The Glory: The Struggles of Black Civil War Veterans
Review
"An excellent collection of essays on a largely neglected topic. . . . The editors have done a thorough job of considering the pivotal issues, selecting broad yet focused themes, and gathering the writings that best illustrate those issues and themes." - Daniel Sutherland, University of Arkansas
Review
“Together, the essays collected by Logue and Barton provide a vivid portrait of the social, political, economic, and cultural struggles of Civil War veterans.”
“The well-chosen essays in The Civil War Veteran underscore the fact that a significant number of veterans from both sides faced serious problems after they returned home. . . .This anthology is highly recommended for all readers interested in understanding the complete legacy of the war.”
“A marvelous collection of essays, The Civil War Veteran provides an indispensable introduction to the problems the veterans faced and the contributions that they made. The bibliography alone is an invaluable resource.”
“Never before has such a wide-ranging and excellent collection of readings on Civil War veterans been assembled in one place. A must have book for anyone interested in this topic.”
“An excellent collection of essays on a largely neglected topic. . . . The editors have done a thorough job of considering the pivotal issues, selecting broad yet focused themes, and gathering the writings that best illustrate those issues and themes.”
Review
"Tierra y Libertad: Land Liberty and Latino Housing offers an overview of the challenges that Latinos have face over the past 160 years in achieving and maintaining homeownership." -Louis DeSipio,The Law and Politics Book Review
Review
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Review
"This book will draw in readers who want to explore the historical, political, economic, and social contexts of the recent foreclosure crisis for Latinos pursuing the American dream of home ownership. . . Bender does and exceptional job of investigating Mexican American experiences while opening the door for future studies of other Latino group experiences." -S. Lawson-Clark, Wake Forest University,Choice Magazine
Review
“Steven Bender's Tierra y Libertad is interesting, his research is great, and the information is long overdue.”
-Dolores Huerta,co-founder of the United Farm Workers
Review
“Nothing is more vital to dignity and wellbeing than a home of ones own. This fine book describes Latinos struggles to achieve home ownership in a society that has placed obstacles in their way at every turn.”
-Richard Delgado,author of The Rodrigo Chronicles
Synopsis
A marvelous collection of essays, The Civil War Veteranprovides an indispensable introduction to the problems the veterans faced and the contributions that they made. The bibliography alone is an invaluable resource. -- Gaines M. Foster, author ofGhosts of the Confederacy: Defeat, the Lost Cause, and the Emergence of the New South Never before has such a wide-ranging and excellent collection of readings on Civil War veterans been assembled in one place. A must have book for anyone interested in this topic. -- Donald R. Shaffer, author ofAfter The Glory: The Struggles of Black Civil War Veterans An excellent collection of essays on a largely neglected topic. . . . The editors have done a thorough job of considering the pivotal issues, selecting broad yet focused themes, and gathering the writings that best illustrate those issues and themes. -- Daniel Sutherland, University of Arkansas The Civil War Veteranpresents a profound but often troubling story of the postwar experiences of Union and Confederate Civil War veterans. Most ex-soldiers and their neighbors readjusted smoothly. However, many arrived home with or developed serious problems; poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, and other manifestations of post traumatic stress syndrome, such as flashbacks and paranoia, plagued these veterans. Black veterans in particular suffered a particularly cruel fate: they fought with distinction and for their freedom, but postwar racism obliterated recognition of their wartime contributions. Despite these hardships, veterans found some help from federal and state governments, through the establishment of a national pension system and soldiers' homes. Yet veterans did not passivelyaccept this assistance-- some influenced and created policy in public office, while others joined together in veterans' organizations such as the Grand Army of the Republic to fight for their rights and to shape the collective memory of the Civil War. As the number of veterans from wars in the Middle East rapidly increases, the stories in the pages ofThe Civil War Veterangive us valuable perspective on the challenges of readjustment for ex-soldiers and American society.
Synopsis
One of the quintessential goals of the American Dream is to own land and a home, a place to raise one's family and prove one's prosperity. Particularly for immigrant families, home ownership is a way to assimilate into American culture and community. However, Latinos, who make up the country's largest minority population, have largely been unable to gain this level of inclusion. Instead, they are forced to cling to the fringes of property rights and ownership through overcrowded rentals, transitory living arrangements, and, at best, home acquisitions through subprime lenders.
In Tierra y Libertad, Steven W. Bender traces the history of Latinos' struggle for adequate housing opportunities, from the nineteenth century to today's anti-immigrant policies and national mortgage crisis. Spanning southwest to northeast, rural to urban, Bender analyzes the legal hurdles that prevent better housing opportunities and offers ways to approach sweeping legal reform. Tierra y Libertad combines historical, cultural, legal, and personal perspectives to document the Latino community's ongoing struggle to make America home.
About the Author
Larry Logue is Professor of History and Political Science at Mississippi College.
Michael Barton is professor of American studies and social science at Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg and author of Goodmen: The Character of Civil War Soldiers. Logue and Barton are co-editors of The Civil War Soldier: A Historical Reader (NYU Press, 2002).