A rare Sephardic Jew in the Old South and a favorite of Jefferson Davis; Judah P. Benjamin has been described as "the brains of the Confederacy". He held three successive Confederate cabinet posts -- attorney general; secretary of war; and secretary of state -- and was Davis's closest confidant in the government. But some have questioned Benjamin's loyalty to Davis and the extent of his influence. More than 140 years after Benjamin first appeared on the Confederate scene; historians still debate his place in the history of the Lost Cause. Originally published in 1943 and now available for the first time in paperback; Robert Douthat Meade's Judah P. Benjamin; Confederate Statesman provides an absorbing account of the life of this enigmatic Civil War figure.Meade chronicles Benjamin's birth in the Virgin Islands; his rise to power as a lawyer and politician in south Louisiana; his election to the U.S. Senate in the 1850s; his outspoken role in the secession controversy; his friendship with Davis; his prominent role in the Confederate government; his daring escape after Appomattox; and his brilliant second law career in England after the war. Still the definitive study of Benjamin after nearly sixty years; Meade's authoritative work is a classic of Civil War biography.
#1870534 in Books Louisiana State Univ Pr 1997-12-01 1997-12-01Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.23 x 1.30 x 6.22l; 1.81 #File Name: 0807121878384 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent account of this blue blood unit from New Orleans ...By Tim AllenExcellent account of this blue blood unit from New Orleans that stayed with the Army of Tennessee instead of joining their sister companies in Virginia. Very detailed; drawing from many personal accounts. I especially enjoyed the section at the end of the book describing what happened to many of the men from the 5th Company after the war.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. The Washington ArtilleryBy Joseph W. McDonald"The Pride of the Confederate Artillery" provides a well researched look into the experiences of a group of volunteers that went off to defend their state during the war of Northern aggression. It is not overly detailed as to the movements of the unit; but does provide a well thought out and insightful look at the sufferings of the soldiers as they do their duty. Mr. Hughes also points out how the class differences between the bourgeois cannoneers and the lower class drivers and teamsters dissolved during battle only to resurface after. This book is highly recommended.
