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Last of the Blue and Gray: Old Men, Stolen Gl- hardcover, Serrano, 9781588343956
US $3.88
ApproximatelyS$ 4.97
Condition:
Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages.
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Located in: Houston, Texas, United States
Delivery:
Estimated between Wed, 27 Aug and Sat, 30 Aug
Returns:
30 days return. Buyer pays for return shipping. If you use an eBay shipping label, it will be deducted from your refund amount.
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eBay item number:305691884739
Item specifics
- Condition
- Artist
- Serrano, Richard A.
- ISBN
- 1588343952
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press
ISBN-10
1588343952
ISBN-13
9781588343956
eBay Product ID (ePID)
159988381
Product Key Features
Book Title
Last of the Blue and Gray : Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived the Civil War
Number of Pages
232 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2013
Topic
Hoaxes & Deceptions, Military / Veterans, United States / 19th Century, United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), Military / United States
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
True Crime, History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
0.9 in
Item Weight
15.5 Oz
Item Length
9.1 in
Item Width
6.3 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
Reviews
Richard Serrano tells the fascinating stories of several men who claimed to be the last survivor of Civil War armies. All but one were fakes. As the nation approached the Civil War centennial in the 1950s, the controversies over the last veteran of the war highlighted the continuing debates about a war that never really ended. -James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era As one of America's greatest journalists, Richard Serrano has a well-established reputation as a master story teller. In the Last of the Blue and Gray, he has found a hidden gem worthy of his narrative skill. At the height of the Cold War, two old men lay dying. They are the nation's last connections to the Civil War, and Serrano elegantly interweaves their final days with the war's approaching centennial. He skillfully shows just how badly an anxiety-ridden modern America wanted to believe in a simpler time, even when the truth got in the way. -James Risen, author of State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration Richard Serrano's book is a beautifully- written account that brings to light a fascinating bit of American history. He tells us about the last "battle" of the Civil War, nearly a century after Fort Sumter: the struggle over who would be the last living veteran of the Civil War (and over whether the claims of the last survivors were real or fraudulent). This is a great story, easy to read and full of wonderful detail, one that sheds light not only on the past but on our shifting memories of it. -James Mann, author of The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred Review As late as the 1950s, two veterans of the bloodiest conflict on American soil were still living. Or rather, one vet and one fraud, both very, very old. In this quintessentially American tale, Serrano (One of Ours), a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist for the Los Angeles Times, marshals a formidable amount of research and a winning prose style to solve the mystery of which man-Union loyalist and drummer boy Albert Woolson, or rebel soldier and forage master Walter Williams-was the real deal. Both were well into their 100s as the Civil War centennial drew near, and neither was lucid enough to be counted on to provide dependable testimonies of their time at war. Adding to the uncertainty was the fact that many soldiers lied about personal details in order to serve. Serrano's grand narrative brings a wealth of American history into its scope and features plenty of larger-than-life characters, cussin', hollerin', smoking cigars, and chewing tobacco, and proudly donning their wartime uniforms. Serrano masterfully maintains the tension throughout, until he finally reveals the truth (which some still find controversial). Told with clarity and skillfully paced, Serrano's story of two old men and the mythology that grew up around them is intimate, expansive, and thoroughly entertaining. Photos. (Oct.) Richard Serrano tells the fascinating stories of several men who claimed to be the last survivor of Civil War armies. All but one were fakes. As the nation approached the Civil War centennial in the 1950s, the controversies over the last veteran of the war highlighted the continuing debates about a war that never really ended. -James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era As one of America's greatest journalists, Richard Serrano has a well-established reputation as a master story teller. In the Last of the Blue and Gray, he has found a hidden gem worthy of his narrative skill. At the height of the Cold War, two old men lay dying. They are the nation's last connections to the Civil War, and Serrano elegantly interweaves their final days with the war's approaching centennial. He skillfully shows just how badly an anxiety-ridden modern America wanted to believe in a simpler time, even when the truth got in the way. -James Risen, author of State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration Richard Serrano's book is a beautifully- written account that brings to light a fascinating bit of American history. He tells us about the last "battle" of the Civil War, nearly a century after Fort Sumter: the struggle over who would be the last living veteran of the Civil War (and over whether the claims of the last survivors were real or fraudulent). This is a great story, easy to read and full of wonderful detail, one that sheds light not only on the past but on our shifting memories of it. -James Mann, author of The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War From the Hardcover edition.
Table Of Content
1 Two Old Soldiers 2 Reunion 3 Old Age and Stolen Valor 4 Albert Woolson 5 Walter Williams 6 Old Men in Blue 7 Old Men in Gray 8 Centennial 9 Last in Blue 10 Debunked? 11 In His Memory-Clouded Mind 12 Last in Gray 13 Of the Dead, Speak No Evil Postscript Sources Index
Synopsis
Richard Serrano, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Los Angeles Times , pens a story of two veterans. In the late 1950s, as America prepared for the Civil War centennial, two very old men lay dying. Albert Woolson, 109 years old, slipped in and out of a coma at a Duluth, Minnesota, hospital, his memories as a Yankee drummer boy slowly dimming. Walter Williams, at 117 blind and deaf and bedridden in his daughter's home in Houston, Texas, no longer could tell of his time as a Confederate forage master. The last of the Blue and the Gray were drifting away; an era was ending. Unknown to the public, centennial officials, and the White House too, one of these men was indeed a veteran of that horrible conflict and one according to the best evidence nothing but a fraud. One was a soldier. The other had been living a great, big lie.
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- t***8 (3509)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseBook as described, smooth transaction
- k***r (4114)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAll's well. Arrived as expected.
- n***e (1372)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGreat condition already am enjoying reading it. Great price!
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Seller feedback (1,065,888)
This item (1)
All items (1,065,888)
- t***8 (3509)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseBook as described, smooth transaction
- k***r (4114)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAll's well. Arrived as expected.
- n***e (1372)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGreat condition already am enjoying reading it. Great price!
- b***a (1666)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseshipped quickly