faces of the civil war navies: an album of union and confederate sailors

Finding information relating to officers, while difficult, pales in comparison to that of enlisted men. Listing over seventy different profiles, alongside their cartes de visite, bolsters his objective further. The author’s choice to incorporate all figures of rank into his book is admirable. Mentioning participants from both sides allows a fuller understanding of both navies during the war. He identifies more Union figures due to the lack of Confederate cartes de visite available today, but all soldiers and sailors chronicled in the book risked their lives for a cause they deemed important.

Choosing to track down both sides exemplifies the author’s dedication to the topic. It would be easy to mention just the Union Navy given the abundance of material available compared to their counterpart. In doing so, he displays professionalism at the highest level free of any bias. Each cartes de visite has a unique story to tell beyond the blank stare usually seen throughout Civil War photography.Ī compelling aspect of Faces of the Civil War Navies is the author’s choice to include both navies in the book. The author does not include just the name of each alongside a picture, rather he covers the key aspects of their war experience. This tactic allows the author to include more soldiers and sailors, which benefits the book. His writing style offers vital details of each individual’s life. Coddington, is a photographer by trade, although his previous books testify to his abilities as a historian. Both Union and Confederate navies have a rich history, although many of their contributions are not familiar to the average historical reader. Faces of the Civil War Navies unearths photographs, known as cartes de visite, and offers details of their origin.

Photographs, and the stories they tell, are rare among Civil War literature. Faces of the Civil War Navies: An Album of Union and Confederate Sailors

Faces of the civil war navies: an album of union and confederate sailors