Nature's Civil War

October 1, 2013

All the battles, campaigns, and generals of the American Civil War have received their fair share of ink. But as historian Meier (history, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.) points out in this edifying account of the common Union and Confederate soldier's quest for survival in the Peninsula and Shenandoah Valley Campaigns of 1862, it was the soldiers' time spent "in between the spaces of battles" that largely determined individual survival in the harsh environment. Those lucky enough to survive the process of "seasoning" disdained the formal yet somewhat counterproductive services of institutional outlets and instead adopted a variety of self-care tactics, from home remedies to simply straggling, that proved more effective. VERDICT Meier has scoured the available sources left by everyday soldiers from both sides of the war, studying letters, diaries, and memoirs, to produce a captivating "ethnographic history of soldier health," building a strong case for environmental determinism, a phenomenon commonly overshadowed by the "persistent romanticizing" of the Civil War in popular culture. Recommended to Civil War history buffs and anyone interested in soldiers' adaption and survival in trying environments.--Brian Odom, Birmingham, AL

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.