The Blue; the Gray; and the Green is one of only a handful of books to apply an environmental history approach to the Civil War. This book explores how nature―disease; climate; flora and fauna; and other factors―affected the war and also how the war shaped Americans’ perceptions; understanding; and use of nature. The contributors use a wide range of approaches that serve as a valuable template for future environmental histories of the conflict.In his introduction; Brian Allen Drake describes the sparse body of environmental history literature related to the Civil War and lays out a blueprint for the theoretical basis of each essay. Kenneth W. Noe emphasizes climate and its effects on agricultural output and the battlefield; Timothy Silver explores the role of disease among troops and animals; Megan Kate Nelson examines aridity and Union defeat in 1861 New Mexico; Kathryn Shively Meier investigates soldiers’ responses to disease in the Peninsula Campaign; Aaron Sachs; John C. Inscoe; and Lisa M. Brady examine philosophical and ideological perspectives on nature before; during; and after the war; Drew Swanson discusses the war’s role in production and landscape change in piedmont tobacco country; Mart A. Stewart muses on the importance of environmental knowledge and experience for soldiers; civilians; and slaves; Timothy Johnson elucidates the ecological underpinnings of debt peonage during Reconstruction; finally; Paul S. Sutter speculates on the future of Civil War environmental studies.The Blue; the Gray; and the Green provides a provocative environmental commentary that enriches our understanding of the Civil War.
#1840419 in Books University of Georgia Press 2004-12-01 2005-01-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 10.00 x .81 x 14.00l; 3.46 #File Name: 0820326585136 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent resource!By CustomerI am 43 years old; wearing spectacles and do not have any trouble reading the fonts on either the maps or the accompanying text on the facing page; so you can safely buy it without fear of having an unreadable text; as alleged by a previous reviewer. I greatly appreciate how this gives an overall bird's eye view of how the war as a whole progressed over time; so you can join the dots for individual events. Excellent resource!!!A suggestion for a future edition if any; will be to overlay the maps with terrain and also major transportation features such as railways; roads and ports. Economic features such as major industrial centres; and food production / plantation areas can also be included. This will allow readers to discern why certain areas were contested or why troops needed to move in a certain direction at a glance on the same map. The maps surely looks spacious enough to receive this treatment.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This truly is an amazing atlas; and really does show a snapshot or ...By CustomerThis truly is an amazing atlas; and really does show a snapshot or our nation for each month during the war between the states.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Well worth the price!By PeteExcellent book for any civil war buff who needs an accurate time line on civil war progression. Excellent maps and comments on each month of the war; which prior to reading this was always difficult to follow for me.
