Shenandoah County; in the years prior to the Civil War; was a prosperous place. Nestled within the Shenandoah Valley; it was a haven for agricultural commerce fueled by slave labor. Integral railways and transportation routes passed through Shenandoah County; feeding its impressive agricultural output throughout the Virginia. With the outbreak of Civil War; all of that would change. Four major battles took place in and around Shenandoah County New Market; Toms Brook; Fishers Hill; and Cedar Creek. Although the proceedings of these historic battles have been well-documented; the effect the combat had on residents of Shenandoah County has receded into the background. Now; author Hal Shape brings the lives of county residents to fore; recounting how their spirits were tested during this dark hour of American history.
#486214 in Books Quirk Books 2007-05-01 2007-05-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.98 x .93 x 5.26l; 1.19 #File Name: 1594741387320 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. If I'd gotten my hands on this in high school...By sharon d...I might have come to love history as a subject a lot sooner. This book is just a series of biographical sketches of the main players on both sides of the American Civil War; but truly; it's one of the best history books I've read on the topic. O'Brien's prose has such a very light touch that it sometimes reads like something out of stand-up comedy act; but even though some passages are very funny; O'Brien seems to get his facts straight; and it would take someone better versed than I to find fault with his scholarship (and I've read a fair bit in the last ten years). Get it and enjoy!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. It's less "secret lives" and more hardcore historyBy LyndseyI enjoyed this author's Secret Lives of the First Ladies book and bought this for a friend who already knew a lot about the civil war. I expected he would enjoy all the little behind the scenes types of things that the first ladies book had included. Instead; this was more of a chronology of the war; just done person by person. The little anecdotes on the cover that inspired me to buy the book were some of the only interesting tidbits in the book. The person I bought it for already knew all about the battles and commanders and this was just all review to him with very few interesting new facts. I can't imagine who the audience for this book is because it's so little of what was promised by the title and cover and goes more to a historian's interest although surely they have already read other books on the subject. My friend was nice about it but I felt bad that the book didn't deliver what I'd thought it would and I feel like he wasted his time reading this just to make me happy.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Secrets uncoveredBy avidreaderYou thought you knew everything about the Civil War? Think again. Included are some offbeat material but most are fascinating things that leave you wondering why you never learned that before and Gee doesn't that make history more interesting?I highly recommend buying this book.
