When secessionist chaos turned to bloodshed in 1861; Mary A. Livermore (1820–1905); editor; lecturer; and abolitionist; left her family and volunteered for the U.S. Sanitary Commission; becoming one of a handful of women to achieve national prominence and a position of leadership within the Commission. Her efforts—from nursing wounded soldiers at the front to organizing the Sanitary Fairs that raised more than a million dollars for relief work—earned the respect of Grant; Sherman; and Lincoln. My Story of the War presents Livermore's remarkable war experiences; including personal reminiscences of Grant; Lincoln; "Mother" Bickerdyke; and Dorothea Dix; and chronicles the vast and varied wartime activities of women—their work as nurses; their agricultural labors; and even their military contributions. In a vivid; anecdotal style Livermore reveals the everyday operations of military hospitals while preserving the individual stories of healers; soldiers; patients; and refugees. Superbly designed; generous in its use of soldiers' letters; and supplemented by illustrations and histories of nearly fifty Union and Confederate regimental flags; My Story of the War appeals to a broad range of Civil War enthusiasts; but stands most firmly as an invaluable testament to women's power to carve out an impressive sphere of influence behind the lines and at the front.
#278418 in Books Cassell 2001-06-30Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 .89 x 5.08 x 7.74l; #File Name: 0304354449352 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This is realityBy Woody 2Outstanding book. 3 Corvettes excellent auto biography of author's WWII experiences in small escort ships during the earliest part of the war when the RN escorts were outgunned by German U-Boats. Material ultimately incorporated into author's "The Cruel Sea" which has been acknowledged as one of the best novels to come out of WWII war at sea. My copy included additional four short stories; which are fun reads; but do not nearly have the impact of 3 Corvettes.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful author; gripping "you are there" feelBy Thomas R. DeanI just finished this wonderful book. Like most; I suppose; I'd first heard of Monsarrat through "The Cruel Sea". This is a first person account; the text broken into three chapters (originally published separately during the War) accorfding to the particular ship on which Monsarrat served; of his experiences on corvettes in the Royal Navy during World War II.The enormous pleasure given by the book is due:in part simply to the brilliance of the writing - the book is highly gripping whether or not at that moment there is anything "objectively" exciting involving the ship -and in part because the author is extraordinarily funny; insightful; sensitive; warm and smart! What a terribly funny book this is - something I hadn't expected at all - and yet there is much tragedy and much that is simply fascinating.The reader is truly there with the author on these corvettes - always the author has in mind; "What would the reader see; feel; smell; be moved by; if he were here with me right now on the deck of a corvette during the War?"Reading the book makes me terribly sad that Monsarrat has died - I'd love to have met him; seen him in interviews -- his sensitivity and charm and absolutely brilliant humor are just so evident. What a wonderful man.You'd love this book - I did.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The War at Sea- A First Hand AccountBy HMS Warspite"Three Corvettes" is a compilation in one volume of three shorter accounts by author Nicholas Monsarratt of his time at sea with the British Royal Navy during the Second World War.The three accounts; "HMS Corvette"; "East Coast Corvette"; and "Corvette Command"; are arranged chronologically around Monsarratt's progression during 1940-1943 from newly-minted Sub-Lieutenant to battle-hardened Lieutenant in Command of a corvette. The collection constitutes an eye-witness account of the Allied convoys in the Battle of the North Atlantic; a story that Monsarratt would tell in thinly fictionized but more complete fashion in "The Cruel Sea"; published well after the war.The three accounts were published in piece-meal fashion during the Second World War; out of Monsarratt's fear that he might not survive the fighting. The accounts reflect wartime censorship with respect to names of ships; tactics; and exact times and places; they are not meant to be a precise history.Monsarratt more than makes up for this lack of historical rigor by his keenly observant eye and equally keen understanding of human nature. "Three Corvettes" is a gripping story of very human sailors struggling to be professionals in a task that was by turns boring and terrifying; requiring the extraordinary endurance to function under harsh conditions of weather and sea and enemy attack.This book is highly recommended to the casual reader seeking an exciting account of the Second World War at sea; and to the historian seeking a authentic taste of the experience of the convoys.
