Junius Browne and Albert Richardson covered the Civil War for the New York Tribune until Confederates captured them as they tried to sneak past Vicksburg on a hay barge. Shuffled from one Rebel prison to another; they escaped and trekked across the snow-covered Appalachians with the help of slaves and pro-Union bushwhackers. Their amazing; long-forgotten odyssey is one of the great escape stories in American history; packed with drama; courage; horrors and heroics; plus moments of antic comedy.On their long; strange adventure; Junius and Albert encountered an astonishing variety of American characters—Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant; Rebel con men and Union spies; a Confederate pirate-turned-playwright; a sadistic hangman nicknamed “the Anti-Christ;†a secret society called the Heroes of America; a Union guerrilla convinced that God protected him from Confederate bullets; and a mysterious teenage girl who rode to their rescue at just the right moment.Peter Carlson; author of the critically acclaimed K Blows Top; has; in Junius and Albert's Adventures in the Confederacy; written a gripping story about the lifesaving power of friendship and a surreal voyage through the bloody battlefields; dark prisons; and cold mountains of the Civil War.
#75229 in Books Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 2014-10-07 2014-10-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.32 x 1.29 x 6.18l; 1.00 #File Name: 1608195430464 pagesBloomsbury Publishing PLC
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The more things changeBy Donald J. McmahanI often hear repeated praise for our founders; as if they were sent as a gift by the gods to us here on earth. Indeed they were a remarkable group of men. But men; with all of the same gifts and failings humans have carried through the ages; onto this time today. This book is a great reminder of those gifts and failings for those who haven't read any history about the beginning of this country lately; or those who would like to start reading about our founders and their relations with one another. To be brief; the political divides of today are the business of government as usual; the business of government just as it was conducted 250 years ago. Read up; and realize how profound the compromises were that made our beginnings and how lucky we were that this group came together here.238 of 254 people found the following review helpful. JEFFERSON AND HAMILTON - OPPOSING VIEWS TO BUILD ONE NATIONBy Marilyn ArmstrongOne of my professors in college was Broadus Mitchell. He was the foremost Hamiltonian scholar of his day; author of multiple biographies of Hamilton and associates. Not surprisingly; my freshman year at Hofstra's New College with Broadus Mitchell was an intensive study of Alexander Hamilton and the founding of America. The textbook was (surprise!) one of the several biographies of Hamilton authored by Broadus Mitchell.When I had was given the opportunity to review this book; I was intrigued. I wondered what the author could tell me I hadn't read elsewhere and if he could tell the story better or differently; perhaps offer some fresh insights.I have patience with history books. I don't expect it to read like fiction. Much to my delight; John Ferling's opening chapters in which he compares and examines the youth; upbringing and psychological makeup of both men is beautifully written -- entertaining and lively. Perceptive. Astute. What drove them; what inspired them to become the men who built America.All was going swimmingly well until the war began. The Revolutionary War.I am not a war buff and was not expecting a play-by-play of the revolution. But there it was. Battle by battle; troop movement by troop movement. I could feel my brain switch from engaged to stupefied. I'm not sure why the full details of the war are included. Aside from showcasing Hamilton's military career (doable in a few paragraphs); it adds little to my understanding of either man. As far as I'm concerned; it mainly adds hundreds of pages where a page or two of summary would have sufficed.If you are a military history buff; you might like it. If not; skip the war and move on. It's a long book that includes a lot of great material. When Ferling is writing about the character and personality of his two extraordinary subjects; he's lively and illuminating; but when he lapses into "authoritative" mode; it bogs down. Seriously dull. I read a lot of history; stuff that other people think is boring and which I find fascinating so it's got to be pretty stultifying before I think it's boring.Yet it's too good to miss; so skip sections in which you aren't interested and read the rest. It is extremely uneven with sections so gripping I couldn't put it down and others so dreary I couldn't stay awake. I am disinterested in battles and troop movements; so maybe I'm the wrong person to judge; but I cannot see how this material adds anything useful. Jefferson never fought in the war. Hamilton did; but he was not a "military man." Even though he had a distinguished war record; being a warrior was not a core piece of his character or particularly relevant to his story. Several hundred pages could (and should) be deleted.Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were two of the most influential men in American history. The author said it well when he commented (sorry; this isn't a quote ... I'm paraphrasing) that there are lots of statues dedicated to Jefferson; but we live in Hamilton's world. True enough. Hamilton was the consummate advocate of a strong central government with economic control through a central bank. Jefferson advocated extreme individual freedom; leaving most government to local authorities.It amuses me that Hamilton is the darling of the GOP while Jefferson is the Liberal ideal. Given Hamilton's belief in strong central government and Jefferson's preference for isolationism; individualism and decentralization -- well; it pretty much defines our nation's massive problem with cognitive dissonance.If you're a history buff with a serious interest in early American history; there is much to like. It is said that "Both men were visionaries; but their visions of what the United States were diametrically opposed." It may have been true in 1780; but it has long ceased to have any current relevance. In the end; the strands of their opposing philosophies have gotten twisted into a single ball of thread; both necessary to our American dream.Jefferson and Hamilton is the story of the struggle -- public and ultimately personal -- between two major figures in our country's history. It ended when Alexander Hamilton died in a duel with Aaron Burr; Jefferson's vice president.Worth reading for sure; but not light entertainment. This is history buff material. Fortunately; there are still a few of us around.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Very Biased Book Toward Jefferson...No Love for Hamilton!By D. LiconaI was very disappointed with this book. Clearly; Ferling is biased toward Jefferson and has it out for Hamilton. Having read many well-researched books on both; Ferling was quick to point out any and all flaws with Hamilton while glossing over Jefferson's character flaws. Though he mentions the Sally Hemings relationship; he doesn't give it nearly the time he gives to Hamilton's indiscretion. I could list a number of instances such as this but; frankly; the book isn't worth the time. He also goes on to equate Hamilton with the right wing Republicans and all that is wrong with that segment of society making this a political mantra as well at times.
