An examination of the military doctrine that animated the French defense against the German invasion in 1940.Argues that the French learned the wrong lessons from World War I and were ill prepared for World War IILessons for modern armies about how to learn from past wars and prepare for future warsWinner of the Paul Birdsall Prize of the American Historical Association
#2040824 in Books Stackpole Books 2000-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.41 x 6.37 x 9.31l; #File Name: 08117022861 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Answered many questionsBy Fred MuseA composer; I have been arranging a group of the popular songs of Lincoln's day for violin and piano; and was interested in learning more about the songs; the men who wrote them; and the reasons for their popularity.This book is supposed to tell how music shaped the Confederacy; but I found it a wonderful source of information about the songs of the Civil War; whether they were songs I considered to be mainly Confederate songs or whether I thought of them as primarily Union songs. The Appendix is very well put together; the Bibliography is extensive; the notes are meticulous; and the index seems to cover everything. It is a pity that an information source as fine as this should have been allowed to go out of print.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Singing the New NationBy A CustomerThis is a study of music and songwriting in the Confederacy.Abel sees nationalism as consciously spearheaded from above; a "goal" aimed at by the higher classes and imposed upon the hoi polloi (sic). Though some of the more propagandistic songs may certainly reflect such a deliberate effort; it's noteworthy that this view of Confederate nationalism contradicts the analyses of scholars such as McPherson and Gallagher.Abel's discussion of field calls is useful; and he's certainly picked an under-discussed topic. Though I didn't find his analysis entirely convincing; the history of individual songs (I was glad to know I'm not the only person who thinks the words of "Dixie" are lame) was interesting. I'd have liked to see a bit more on ballads and traditional music which would have been known to soldiers of the period; but then that's not the focus of the book.Probably a "get from the library" rather than a "buy" book for most readers.13 of 15 people found the following review helpful. singing the new nationBy E. Lawrence AbelI wrote this book to show how Confederate music during the war reveals the social history of the South during the war. The book is not a bibliogrpahy of sheet music nor simply a collection of lyrics. Instead; it uses the lyrics and covers from various pieces of sheet music to illustrate what Southerns believed they were fighting for and the feelings they had about their families; homes and their fate. These songs bound Southerners from different classes and different regions together; thereby creating a collective sense of nationalism. The songs also provided an outlet for people who were otherwise restrained in their emotions; to express their feelings in public. It also traces the history of some of the better known Southern songs such as "Dixie" and the "Bonnie Blue Flag" and describes the integral place of field music and brass bands in the war effort.
