Women of the slaveholding south in the american civil war, drew gilpin faust breaks down the southern conception of women during the civil war era to expose the social, emotional, and political shifts that transform womens role in society and in the home, specifically in the confederate state of america. A wellknown scholar of the antebellum south and the civil war era and, since 2007, president of harvard university, faust had two histories in mind. As faust makes clear, the scope of the carnage was sweeping. In the end one can only conclude, as the author does, that the meaning of the civil war. Slaveholders in peace and war and the creation of confederate nationalism.
Darlene clark hine, editor of the encyclopedia of black womens history. Americans are no strangers to the destruction and horrific bloodletting that defined this nations civil war. As usual, we enlisted the help of a handful of civil war historians and enthusiasts, avid readers all, and asked them to pick their two favorite books published in 2017. An equivalent proportion of todays population would be six million.
She frequently wrote about the american civil war, and her books included this republic of suffering 2008. Death and the american civil war by drew gilpin faust, from the pastor of the united methodist church. Death and the american civil war, a thoughtful study of the impact of the wars massive death toll on society and government. Death and the american civil war, historian drew gilpin faust writes that civil war deaths both. With all the fanfare around drew gilpin faust being the first female president of harvard university, it was easy to forget that shes also a noted scholar on the civil war and the american south. Drew gilpin faust is president of harvard university. Jan 27, 2008 drew gilpin faust, the president of harvard, has written an extraordinary new book about the enormous loss of human life in the civil war 620,000 men, north and south. Death and the american civil war by drew gilpin faust knopf, 2008. This republic of suffering by drew gilpin faust the president of harvard, and a woman, fyi is a history of the civil war period that focuses on the devastating death toll of the conflict and its effects on american culture of that time and since. Drew gilpin faust is president emeritus and the arthur kingsley porter university professor.
Death and the american civil war by drew gilpin faust 2008. Drew gilpin fausts most popular book is this republic of suffering. Drew gilpin faust appeared with eminent lincoln scholar harold holzer at the national constitution center on april 9, 2012 to discuss her awardwinning book, this republic of suffering. Drew gilpin faust is president emerita of harvard university and the arthur kingsley porter university professor as president of harvard from 2007 to 2018, faust expanded financial aid to improve access to harvard college for students of all economic backgrounds and advocated for increased federal funding for scientific research. Faust served as the 28th president of harvard university from july 1, 2007. The lasting but littleunderstood impact of all that sacrifice is the subject of drew gilpin faust s extraordinary new book, this republic of suffering. Death and the american civil warby drew gilpin faustthis republic of suffering is a very different civil war book. Drew gilpin faust discusses her book, this republic of suffering. The second year told by those who lived it library of america. Drew gilpin fasts book, this republic of suffering, covers something much more personal. Faust is the former dean of the radcliffe institute for advanced study. The january 9th edition of fresh air features drew gilpin faust talking about her new book, this republic of suffering. Drew gilpin faust talked about her book this republic of suffering.
Death and the american civil war, the massive number of deaths embarked america on a new relationship with death, one that transformed society, culture and politics. Drew gilpin faust university of north carolina press. She is featured in pbss american experience called death and the civil war. She was harvards first female president, and the first harvard president without a harvard degree. Faust examines all aspects of death in the american civil war in this unique, insightful topical history. Vintage civil war library found in civil war period the vintage civil war library is a defining collection of some of the most important works about the war between the states by preeminent authors and historians.
Follow drew gilpin faust and explore their bibliography from s drew gilpin faust author page. She analyzes how the war challenged prevailing assumptions surrounding death and dying, and how soldiers. Faust served as the 28th president of harvard university from july 1, 2007 through june 30, 2018. During her tenure there, she published this book, which was a finalist for both the pulitzer prize and the national book award. The civil war meant many things to different people, but to everyone in america. Published shortly before the sesquicentennial, it was widely. Im used to civil war books that tell the story of battles, campaigns and leaders. Drew gilpin faust, mothers of invention 1996 civil war. Catharine drew gilpin faust born september 18, 1947 is an american historian and was the 28th president of harvard university, the first woman to serve in that role. Death and the american civil war 43008 two renowned civil war historians drew gilpin faust and david w. Drew faust adroitly dissects the ambiguity and irresolution in the inner lives, thoughts, and experiences of elite white women who struggled to maintain status and privilege even as the necessities of civil war transformed southern society. Drew gilpin faust on nprs fresh air civil war history. I felt very much that i lived in history, said drew gilpin faust as she recently described her childhood in an interview for humanities magazine. This was a fantastic book, though sometimes hard to stomach.
The mothers of invention are confederate women, white confederate women, who lived in slaveholding families during the civil war, and my book is about their experiences in this time of crisis, and the ways in which they coped with the challenges of war and the transformations that it brought about. Drew gilpin faust appeared with eminent lincoln scholar harold holzer at the national constitution center on april 9, 2012 to discuss her awardwinning book, this republic of suffering, and the enormous human toll of the civil war on 19thcentury america. According to drew gilpin faust, writing about and researching the history of elites is a topic that lately has not been considered fashionable, but one she takes interest in with her book mothers of invention. Drew faust, a leading civil war historian and the president of harvard university since 2007, does something much more significant in this republic of suffering. Apr 14, 2016 drew gilpin faust, the 28th president of harvard university and the lincoln professor of history in harvards faculty of arts and sciences, discuss her monumental book, this republic of suffering. Lawrence welcomed drew gilpin faust, civil war historian and former president of harvard university, to rothenberg hall. The mothers of invention are confederate women, white confederate women, who lived in slaveholding families during the civil war, and my book is about their experiences in this time of crisis, and the ways in which they coped with the challenges of war. This republic of suffering civil war books and authors.
Drew gilpin faust national endowment for the humanities neh. Most civil war books are about great battles and specific generals. I never knew that grant won until quite some time had passed. More than 600000 soldiers lost their lives in the american civil war. As drew gilpin faust explores in this republic of suffering. Death and the american civil war is a nonfiction book by drew gilpin faust, a wellknown historian and the first female president of harvard university. Faust, a historian of the civil war and the american south, is also the lincoln professor of. For the second event in the huntingtons centennial celebration series why it matters, huntington president karen r.
This is a book about how an entire society, north and south. Jan 09, 2008 historian drew gilpin faust writes that civil war deaths both their number and their manner transformed america. Faust looks directly at the past, with a daughters hard, steady gaze, and with a daughters generous heart. Weekend trips to battlefields and joining her brothers to play soldier helped to deepen her interest in the civil war. Drew gilpin faust took office as harvards 28th president on july 1, 2007 and left office at the end of june, 2018. Death and the american civil war offers a look into the civil war that is truly unique the impact of death as a phenomenon upon individuals whose reactions ranged from horror and refusal of participating in killing to gleeful celebrations of killing, and upon america as a society and culture. In this republic of suffering, drew gilpin faust reveals the ways that. Death and the american civil war, historian drew gilpin faust writes that civil war deaths both their number and their manner transformed america. More than 600,000 soldiers lost their lives in the american civil war. I used to play civil war soldiers with my brothers as a child, and my older brother always insisted that he got to be lee, and i got be grant. This republic of suffering by drew gilpin faust books on.
Historian drew gilpin faust writes that civil war deaths both their number and their manner transformed america. Mar 21, 2019 the lasting but littleunderstood impact of all that sacrifice is the subject of drew gilpin fausts extraordinary new book, this republic of suffering. Mothers of invention women of the slaveholding south in the american civil war, by drew gilpin faust read 10 sep 2014parkman prize for 1997 i read this book because it won the 1997 parkman. From classic accounts by authors such as shelby foote and bruce catton, to chronicles by more contemporary scholars such as drew gilpin faust. Harvard president drew faust on life and death harvard. Harvard university president drew gilpin faust to discuss new. Death and the american civil war by drew gilpin faust published by vintage 2008 368 pages. When confederate men marched off to battle, southern women struggled with the new responsibilities. In this republic of suffering, drew gilpin faust reveals the ways that death on such a scale changed not only individual lives but the life. As usual, we enlisted the help of a handful of civil war historians and enthusiasts, avid readers all, and asked them to pick their two favorite books. The tremendous change that swept the united states due to the horrendous number of war dead. When confederate men marched off to battle, southern women struggled with the new responsibilities of directing farms and plantations, providing for families, and. In this republic of suffering, drew gilpin faust reveals the ways that death on such a scale changed not only individual lives but the life of the nation, describing how the survivors managed on a practical level and how a deeply religious culture. Fast and slow, katherine boos behind the beautiful forevers, the civil war.
Drew gilpin fausts powerful and moving answers to these questions provide an important new dimension to our understanding of the civil war. Mothers of invention women of the slaveholding south in the american civil war, by drew gilpin faust read 10 sep 2014parkman prize for 1997 i read this book. Harvard president and civil war scholar drew gilpin faust tackles the most intimate aspects of death during the civil war in this republic of suffering, a groundbreaking new book on the realities of wars carnage. Drew gilpin faust has 18 books on goodreads with 16685 ratings.
Drew gilpin faust, the president of harvard, has written an extraordinary new book about the enormous loss of human life in the civil war 620,000 men, north and south. By relying heavily on letters and other personal documents of. The program featured a clip from the pbs documentary death and the civil war, produced by burns and based upon fausts book this republic of suffering. Published on apr 14, 2016 drew gilpin faust, the 28th president of harvard university and the lincoln professor of history in harvards faculty of arts and sciences, discuss her monumental. Gallagher, author of the confederate war drew faust s brilliant new book, this republic of suffering, builds profoundly from the opening discussion of the christian ideal of the good death to the last harrowing chapters on the exhumation, partial identification, reburial and counting of the union dead. The best civil war books of all time analysis civil war. Drew faust on the shared suffering of the civil war in her book this republic of suffering.
It describes, in numbing detail, the lived experience of americans with the carnage of the civil war. Drew gilpin fausts the republic of suffering is a necessary, and long overdue, cultural history of a largely ignored. As a kid, i was growing up in an era of celebration of the civil war centennial, with a lot of lost cause emphasis on the confederacy. Women of the slaveholding south in the american civil war civil war america paperback nov 9, 2000. Drew gilpin faust, american educator and historian who was the first female president of harvard university 200718. Sep 21, 2012 drew faust on the shared suffering of the civil war in her book this republic of suffering. Drew fausts brilliant new book, this republic of suffering, builds profoundly from the opening discussion of the christian ideal of the good death to the last. Drew gilpin faust s recent civil war book on the grim subject of suffering and death perched for weeks atop the new york times bestseller list, and ranked among the ten best books of the year 2008, attesting to the reading publics hunger for new perspectives on the war. Drew gilpin faust, the president of harvard, has written an extraordinary new book about the enormous loss of human life in the civil war. This republic of suffering is a strange book, at once bloody and bloodless. A historian of the civil war and the american south, she holds the lincoln professorship in history. The best civil war books of all time analysis civil. Dean of the radcliffe institute for advanced study from 2001 to 2007, she came to harvard after twentyfive years on the faculty of the university of pennsylvania. Blight examine the lives that were irrevocably changed by.
During the war, approximately 620,000 soldiers lost their lives. Women of the slaveholding south in the american civil war. Death created the modern american union, she writes, not just by ensuring national survival, but by shaping enduring national structures and. The starting point for drew gilpin fausts new book rests on one of the most basic facts about civil war america. Perspectives on the civil war during the civil war, death reached into the world of the living in ways unknown to americans before or since. This book was one of the most read civil war studies of the last two decades.
662 1298 32 329 1348 442 92 32 236 1033 1107 764 560 638 514 405 496 536 529 504 402 1068 1476 856 688 1170 950 156 1465 102 1537 768 134 862 603 513 447 580 1317 41 409 550 818 508