Book Description
Farrell debunks the myth of male power. He dares to question the image of male-as-oppressor, arguing that this misconception has hindered not only men, but women as well.
Customer Reviews:
Not all women's fault; men do these things to other men and to themselves.......2007-10-01
Some author mentioned this book, and as I checked it out it received a whole bunch of positive reviews, so I ordered it, many moons ago. What a disappointment.
First off, the tone of the book isn't very good. He comes off as being more concerned with the perceived harms of feminism than with the plight of men.
He'll make comparisons on how males and females are treatments which seem to pit gender against gender as if fighting each other in a win-lose scenario.
For example, in talking about prostate/testes self-exams and the lack thereof compared to women's breast self-exams, he makes it sound as if the success of breast cancer/breast exam awareness campaigns means that men's health issues are left unaddressed. As if those two issues are fighting each other in a vacuum, to gain a limited amount of resources.
The point should be, that we need more prostate, testicular cancer awareness and to promote self-checkups. Yet, he frames it in a way that would make one think this is the fault of the feminists for only focusing on breast cancer/exams, as if once again they've screwed men over in a vast conspiracy.
He also talks about some problems already known by feminists, but presents them in a way that makes the reader think HE is the first to find discover these problems, and the way he writes about the problems won't really encourage readers to try to change things with feminists, but rather to hate feminists.
The author also mixes slanted opinions with facts as he does not use citations on all fact statements, meaning he must be drawing his own conclusions.
And there are many far better male feminist / men's movements out there that address these issues in a far more constructive way. (Like that show in New Hampshire and that anti-rape anti-violence website... I don't think I'm allowed to mention/advertise their names here)
Warren Farrell also talks about male gender-roles as if they were designed solely to benefit women, and blames feminists apparently because they've broken through many female gender-role barriers, compared to men who still have many more rigid, oppressive gender-roles.
In this regard he seems misguided; he should encourage men to break through their gender-role conditioning, instead of complaining about it to the feminists...
for example, he says one million men get raped every year, mostly in prisons, and he talks about the old dating model where females attract/resist, males pursue/insist, as leading to sexual harassment, date rape charges.
Or, about how the health and lives of adult men in our society have relatively low value so men can be G.I. soldiers, work hazardous jobs.
Or, about how to be masculine is basically to reject and despise all that is weak within your self and others.
But does he try to make men challenge these gender-roles that are deeply ingrained within them? No.
He whines about how women have it better than men, how they're taking over and abusing their power.
Yes, feminism isn't perfect, yes, they've spent most of their time fighting oppressive gender indoctrination affecting women only, and some so-called feminists can be downright misandrous, but come on! He'd rather get men to hate on women than to get them to reflect on themselves, acknowledge their complacency in, and challenge the status quo of misandry, and genuinely try to change things.
I wonder if he's aware of what he is doing. The more men's movements bash feminism in this false dichotomy, the more it distracts people from the real issues of socially constructed gender-based behaviour norms (quite a mouthful), which limit our freedom.
Man Obsoletes Men.......2007-06-25
This book being so well researched and laden with factoids ad nauseam makes it a tedious read. Half-way through you're tempted to shout out, "ENOUGH ALREADY, I GET IT!" I understand why Dr. Farrell felt he had to make as strong a case as possible considering the target audience was his former feminist conspirators. Men will find the book enlightening; women will refuse to even try to comprehend this perspective. A man is deemed wrong out of gate trying to use facts, logic and common sense to argue with a woman. I found "The Manipulated Man", under the same premise, much more enjoyable to read. It's as though Dr. Farrell is proving Esther Vilar's views with a follow up tomb of hard data.
Of what use are men today? Most families are fatherless or the father supports the family from a distance. 50% of all sperm bank withdrawals are to single women and lesbian couples who choose their child's characteristics from a list of hunky and well-educated male donators. (Man as "turkey baster") Warfare is no longer army vs. army conducted on a battlefield. (Even a woman can sit in a missile silo and push a button). The Stage I male protected and provided for his woman as the precious giver of life, often risking his own life to do so. The duties and roles of each were clearly understood. The Stage II male has no one to protect or provide for. Man made men unnecessary for women to give life and live life. His purpose has devolved to being the garbage man, the furniture mover, the miner, the fireman, the construction worker, and the mechanic. He is relegated to merely being short-term brawn or technical expertise. The "War" is over. The fat and ugly lesbian feminists of the 70's and 80's have gotten what they want, a society where most men are obsolete and children are raised wihout a masculine influence.
Dr. Farrell offers improbable, at least for several generations to come, solutions for the Stage II couple. Men need to discover their feelings and have the courage to ask for help. (If he wants to be ostracized and cast out as weak). Stage II women should pursue careers in the "death professions" for true equality to be reached. (Men won't allow it because we're wired to protect the female giver of life and women are wired to want to be protected; but with all the perks of Stage I entitlement-inequality defined) Men need to stop viewing women as "sex objects" and women need to stop viewing men as "success objects." Not in my lifetime, nor that of my children's children...and it's the young people having to navigate life through this unbalanced society, I feel pity for.
It's not you, and you're not alone........2007-06-14
I don't agree that male power is a myth - male power is very real. Just not for the average man, most of the time.
What is a myth is that a man, simply by virtue of being male, is automatically blessed with an edge in modern society. No average man of today feels this way, contrary to the constant barrage of disinformation that tries to make us believe, we should shut up, and suck it down, because we as males allegedly still have the power! Who has really the power here?
Farrell offers a validation to the diffuse feelings that can grow very strong inside a man from everyday experience and observations. No, I'm not insane and it's not me, and I'm not alone. This is such a revelation.
Another weird book from Warren Farrell.......2007-05-28
This book is kind of schizophrenic. On the one hand, it offers abundant evidence (which has been completely ignored by feminists) about male dominance of "the death professions." The media love to write news stories about brave female soldiers, but in reality combat soldiers are male. Women avoid death professions like the very plague: trash collecting (more dangerous than you think), policing, fire-fighting, etc. It is especially noteworthy that the NYPD is about 10% female, as is the New York Fire Department. Yet the policemen and firemen who lost their lives on 9/11 were ALL of them male. 100 percent male. Apparently young men have this built-in delusion that death happens to other people. In any case, men die like flies in the death professions -- and something like 25 percent of men never find a wife.
Farrell has dug up the facts, but then he presents them all with the mindset of a diehard feminist, and I will define that term, for the purposes of this review, as someone who actually pretends to believe that men and women are interchangeable parts. Sure, send women into combat! Send men to nurse newborn babies! Life isn't about gender, it's about preconceived dumb ideas!
As one might deduce from the facts just recounted about 9/11, a lot of men might not be that gung-ho about having women alongside them in combat, because of the zero evidence that a women will ever stick her neck out to save the life of a fellow soldier.
This book served a purpose when it was published, but seems completely out-of-date by now.
If all women should read this book..........2007-04-20
...then perhaps all men should read 'A Women's History of the World', now called, I believe, 'Who Cooked the Last Supper...' (for another look at how facts can be cherry-picked, warped to suit any argument, and sweeping generalizations are made from singular statistical data, and correlations are based off presumptive conclusions demonstrating no adequate causation--hmm, only from a woman's point-of-view and a whole lot more unapologetic in tone...I believe Rosalind Miles came from that era of "bitter feminist"--the male-bashing years...
Why I'm even wasting brain-cells on this is beyond me, but what the world didn't need was yet one more book--'The myth of Male power'--(you'd do better to read Joseph Campbell and discover the true beauty of myth and symbolism, and some archetypes of masculinity)--that attempts to present the answer to all men's problems (and women's apparently) rehashed once again by misconstrued statistics, sensationalized news contorted to astound and astonish as opposed to making one think, all fit into a pattern of fallacy so apparent, this could be used as an exemplar for intro to logic texts.
Someone in an earlier review stated how disturbing it is so many readers seem to respond favorably to this work without realizing how simplistic the 'facts' proposed are, taken out of context and construed as 'deep' research. What I find even more disheartening is how easily duped most American readers are into not being able to recognize 'pop'-culture hysteria books when they see them and analyze/critique accordingly.
As a case in point, citing men's suicide rates exceeding women's as they go through adolescence into their 20's and 30's, writing the numbers off as a tirade of 'man-the-victim-of-vicious-masculine-stereotypes-see-how-fragile-we-are-damn-the feminists-who've-made-us-suffer-for-demasculinization". How Sir Warren uses these numbers ignores complex issues of familial, socio-economic, ethnic, racial--along with gender--(and even geography) factors. This statement is not made in negation of a consistently documented trend of higher rates of suicide amongst men over women--all anyone needs to do is go to the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/suifacts.htm to see that. To say this trend is happening because of feminism's cancerous influence upon the wider arena of modern society however, thus demonstrating the victimization of men, the subsequent hacking-away of the male-coping mechanisms in terms of cognitive and behavioral health demonstrates one of these sweeping generalizations, and a lack of correlation/causation.
As noted from the CDC website, women are three times more likely than men to attempt suicide (though not carry through on it). Thus, the prevalence of suicide ATTEMPTS amongst women v. men (if we're talking victim v. victim here) is higher for women; men happen to carry through with their attempt on the first go as opposed to women. Did the self-destructive tendency come about as poisoned offspring resulting from feminism's damaging influence to masculine development/mental-health/social identity through adolescence? What about the damage feminism has done to women? After all, I'm 3 times more likely to try and kill myself, because I've obviously been conditioned by my XX chromosome to be manipulative and attention-seeking, and in my journey to evolve into a more self-directed and empowered individual I've suffered a crisis in my feminine identity (assertiveness warring against my more natural tendency toward passivity and submission). So, where men I guess blow their heads off 4 times more frequently than women, women are 3 times more likely to slit wrists and call 911. Hmm, I don't know, seems to me masculinity is fairly intact--purpose-driven and determined straight to the finish.
I don't honestly believe the above statement, but can anyone see where this sort of reasoning leads? The broad sweeping blame on one civil rights movement (of which feminism ought to be included) attempting to effect societal progress for a discriminated populace elicits a backlash of accusation, wherein feminism is touted as the reason men have lost their identity, self-confidence, jobs security, social security, effectiveness in combat, desire for combat, now experience role-confusion, etc etc...all in 21st century America.
Has the male ego become so fragile over the last 50 years that it would allow itself to be debased by such clap-trap argumentation and conclusions as to be found in this book? Are men's identities really so fragile in this country, or in the world, that in trying to reclaim the 'masculine-aura', men must segregate themselves and allow themselves to be defined by one more author espousing post-modernist biological determinism obscured by seeming "deep-research" and profound insight into the male psyche?
If anyone is interested in how the world thinking operated in terms of men and women and gender roles in the era prior to "2nd Wave Feminism", [...]
If anyone believes this was a better world, then I invite you to continue looking through rose-colored glasses.
For others, especially Sir Warren Farrell, what is it about feminism that has frightened so many, and disgusted so many others? Not to quote a bumper-sticker, but "feminism is the radical idea that women are people too", doesn't seem to scream femi-nazi.
Indeed, I think one review from "Fire in the Belly" had it right on--if you're looking to reclaim your masculinity, you'd do better to rent a John Wayne movie or watch Gladiator or The 300. Now there are paragons of masculine ethos and heroism--even for women (to enjoy on so many levels).
Ultimately, a purpose driven life isn't defined by gender, nor on self-victimization.
On the other hand, as one of my favorite authors once wrote, "It's only stupid, conventional men who like stupid, conventional women," (ah, G. Bradshaw).
I can only wonder at the kind of history with women a man like Sir Warren Farrell has had since he obviously claims to have the answers as to society's ills with them.
Customer Reviews:
Tarot Readers.......2007-09-20
The is an excellent book for tarot readers. At the end of each of the Gods' and Goddesses' meditations, there are some tarot card descriptions linked to the court cards and the pantheon the author cites. This information gave my tarot card readings more dimension. If you are a tarot reader, I highly recommend both of her books of the same topic, it will enhance your tarot card knowledge.
Gods with substance.......2007-01-04
I have only delved into this book briefly; however, it is nice to have a book that does more than give a brief one-line description of many gods. This book focuses on a handful of gods from a few different pantheons, providing customs, ways to commune, etc. I recommend it to anyone who wants to explore a new or re-establish a relationship with deity.
Good as a resource........2004-08-04
The only thing I didn't like was too much of the authors intrepration of the myths. Of course she's allowed (it's her book after all), but that's not what I bought it for. I was looking for a way to connect with the God which I got a bit out of but not enough.
But I guess if I had paid more attention to the title I would have figured that out myself.
Exceptional! Magickal! Wonderful!.......2004-02-23
This book goes into extensive detail about *specific Gods* of the Greek, Hindu & Egyptian pantheons; the Paths of which the author, Kala Trobe, holds much knowledge. I have found this to be extremely beneficial in my magickal practices and cultural research. It is essential next to Kala Trobe's other book "The Witch's Guide to Life", and right alongside her other book, "Invoke the Goddess." This book goes into great detail about these particular Gods and enlightens the reader into their true energy. It is brilliant and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in these particular Pantheons. Please see her other books on Amazon.com as well. Cheers Be to Kala Trobe!
good book once again.......2003-07-16
I would recommend this book for wiccan like myself the rituals baths and meditations (with less structure) and only a gods know how they react to the person . I would not turn to it as a prime resource for male aspect however for information. However, I was inspired to check out the author's bibliography to see where she got her background information. and suggest the witches god and goddess on working with deity . Just do the reseach on gods you are draw to and this book is nice for visualizations as all book they do have a opinion.Still nice book overall
Average customer rating:
|
Men, Power, and Myths: The Quest for Male Identity
Allan Guggenbuhl
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Developmental Psychology
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Human
| Sexuality
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Social Psychology & Interactions
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Gender
| By Topic
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Men
| Gender Studies
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0826407811 |
Customer Reviews:
Embattled Courage.......2006-10-16
In Embattled Courage, Gerald Linderman seeks to accurately portray the civil war from the perspective of the brave men who fought in the war. The book is appropriately titled due to the fact that Linderman spends a large majority of his book talking about the motivation that drove these men, and sometimes boys, to enlist in this war. Courage, Linderman asserts, is the driving force behind the enlistment of these soldiers. However, as the war progresses, the unfortunate soldiers of the Civil War learn that courage alone will not keep them alive or give them peace. Linderman's book is essentially divided into two parts: the early years of the civil war when the idea of courage reigned supreme, and the latter part of the war when the weariness of reality sets in. While the book is at times intriguing, it ultimately lacks any sort of resolution that would make the reader feel that the time spent reading the work was well spent.
The first section of the book, titled "Courage's War" is the more intriguing of the two parts. The reason for this is because Linderman creates such a vivid illustration of the mind set of the soldiers of the Civil War. As he introduces in the first few pages of Embattled Courage, the idea of courage is perhaps the soldiers' most intense source of motivation during combat. Linderman writes, "Courage promised the soldier that no matter how immense the war, how distant and fumbling the directing generals, or how powerful the enemy forces seeking his destruction, his fate would continue to rest on his inner qualities" (61). In other words, courage will force a man into battle, it will sustain him in that battle, and it will give him a reason to die because an courageous death brings forth another ideal gripped by the soldiers of the civil war, honor. Coupled with honor, the idea of courage not only made men into soldiers but bonded those soldiers together to form armies. This first section of the book is particularly fascinating because it humanizes the men who fought in this brutal war, rather than assigning them a number. Linderman achieves this by citing numerous different examples of letters written from the men who believed whole-heartedly in the importance of courage. While at times, the soldiers' naivety may seem overwhelming, it only furthers Linderman's attempt to humanize these men. No, the importance of courage should not be and is not overlooked by Linderman. However, as the war progressed, the soldiers soon discovered that courage was sometimes not enough.
The second half of Gerald Linderman's book is titled "A Perilous Education" and it portrays the unraveling of the soldiers' faith in the idea of courage. He begins by describing the inhuman and unforeseen enemies of the civil war soldiers such as disease and the monotony of camp life. Courage is no match against such things. Soon the soldiers who had relied on courage began to see through the walls of lies that it presented to them. Linderman writes, "Civil War battles revealed by degrees that bravery was no guarantor of victory, that rifled muskets and defensive works could thwart the most spirited charge, soldiers sensed the insufficiency of courage and began to move away from many of their initial convictions" (156). For the rest of this section, Linderman essentially builds off of this idea and continues to portray the seemingly insurmountable hurdles placed in front of the weary soldiers. While this section definitely has its high points, it is less interesting than its predecessor due to the fact that it places greater emphasis on the hardships of reality, rather than the minds of the soldiers who endured the harsh sides of reality. Regardless, it definitely serves its purpose of contradicting the ideas of the soldiers in the early stages of the war.
As the epilogue of Embattled Courage depicts, returning to life as normal was difficult for the veterans of the Civil War. Over just a few years, those who had survived the horrors of war were forced to cope with the realities of life and the limitations of courage. Gerald Linderman vividly depicts this struggle in the book but often fails to capture the common reader. At times, the book can seem unbearably repetitive or even unnecessary. While the subject matter is indeed intriguing and worth writing about, Linderman seems to unrelentingly beat the topic into memory throughout Embattled Courage. However, it should be noted that Linderman's book is very well developed. As he continues to add to the ideas of the soldiers and the hardships that challenged them, the book delivers more quality information and even surprises the reader with unique views, barely touched in other works on the Civil War. In spite of the repetitive nature of the work, Linderman should be applauded for his relentless journey to add to his already intriguing subject matter. Overall, Embattled Courage is a quality work written by a scholar who clearly has thoroughly researched the topic discussed in the book. As a result, Gerald Linderman has managed to tell a story that should be remembered for years to come.
Unique to the field.......2006-05-03
According to Linderman, courage meant everything to a Civil War soldier. Being brave under fire, retreating only when ordered, and not deserting under harsh conditions, signified respect from fellow comrades and a soldier's ability to prove his manhood. Linderman attempts to answer the question of courage and manhood and if both go conjointly with its association to war. He probes the psychological motivation of a soldier, challenges the romanticization of combat, and connects the realities of war to the tribulations dealt with by the soldiers both on the field and on the home front. Additionally, Linderman argues that courage and manhood are interchangeable. War put the test of manhood to a higher level where "a failure of courage in war was a failure of manhood."
As Linderman suggests, soldiers from both sides used courage and masculinity simultaneously when describing combat.
The author supports the cohesiveness of both words by explaining that such rhetoric was necessary to "motivate the soldiers to fight one another." As he indicates, modern Americans may not understand this anomaly because extensive military training forces discipline in today's armies. Back in the 1860's with these volunteer units, indiscipline was constant and the ideal of courage "compelled men to combat." In all probability, Linderman is accurate in this regard, as little formal training existed to discipline these soldiers. Besides, with many of these men coming from small towns where "individualism and egalitarianism contributed nothing to military discipline," resistance to subordination to a military hierarchy appeared common.
Furthermore, manliness and courage went hand in hand with godliness as many "thought of their faith as a special source of bravery." Most soldiers heavily depended on religion as a way of protection while under fire. The more faithful would earn God's care and such conviction was itself an inducement to courage. Linderman argues that these assumptions appeared more frequent in Confederate camps as men such as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson held such devotional assurance. But, as Linderman asserts, as courage and godliness went linked, so too did cowardice and disbelief.
Fighting the battle over fear became the ultimate test in combat. Linderman insists that privates held themselves to a strict standard, "that of fighting man fashion," where an enormous amount of discipline and fearlessness was required in order to not quicken their pace under fire, dodge shells, or seek cover. Fear became the unrivaled enemy as soldiers chose not to express it nor even talk about it with anyone. In addition to the common soldiers, Linderman lumps officers into this group but acknowledges that they had to prove their necessity to their comrades through example. Sometimes this example led to threatening a fearful soldier by force because, as Linderman suggests, "cowards apparently lost the right even to be numbered among the trophies."
Ironically, Linderman reveals the harsh dichotomy between courage and cowardice by insisting that Civil War soldiers saw it as a form of insanity. As it appears, the thought of cowardice forced many to do things out of the ordinary in hopes of being remembered as noble and brave. Interestingly enough, Linderman makes the argument that wounded men "wore their mark of manly service to show...the wound as [an] emblem of courage." Therefore, if true, then his association of courage and manhood stood firm. However, other areas in Embattled Courage demand critique.
First, the author's assumption that both Northerners and Southerners shared similar or identical psychological beliefs further disregards regional, cultural, and social differences between the two sides. Second, Linderman encompasses virtues such as manliness, Godliness, and knightliness, with duty and honor to form courage. As seen later, this ideology appears challenged in Franny Nudelman's John Brown's Body, but for the most part Linderman and Bell Irvin Wiley appear to connect in their conclusions that these soldiers became less intrigued with the "cause" and more associated with the comradeship that allegedly kept many in the war.
The problem with this approach is a needed heavy reliance on diaries, letters, and journals from ordinary soldiers. Linderman goes in a different way with using accounts from officers such as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and more famous generals such as George McClellan and Robert E. Lee. These memoirs were generally published after the war where one can argue that a romanticized image was produced to paint the author in a better picture. Additionally, they do not convey the tribulations of a common soldier.
Concluding, Linderman has been severly challenged and criticized for his conclusions. Although warranted on many regards, this study is significant for its unique interpretation of the combat motivation of a common soldier.
Two Faces of Civil War Courage.......2003-12-19
Gerald Linderman's "Embattled Courage" (1987) is an outstanding study of the motivation of soldiers during the American Civil War and of the values of the society to which they responded.
The book is in two broad sections. The first part of the book, titled "Courage's War" covers the early years of the war to about mid-1863 (the time of the climactic Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg). During these years, Linderman sees the primary motivating factor of the war as courage and of individual effort. The soldier enlisting in the war effort -- and during the early years volunteers bore the overwhelming brunt of the effort- had concepts of personal bravery in the face of danger, fearlessness and commitment to duty and to a purpose. He believed that the actions of an individual mattered and could make a difference to the result of a battle. This was an idealistic concept and Linderman shows well how it was reinforced and complemented by concepts of manliness, comradeship, godliness and morality, chivalry, and the brotherhood of soldiers, which assumes a certain degree of respect for the enemy on the other side of the line. Linderman points out that the Civil War may have been the last conflict in which these ideals were taken seriously. They were dashed in WW I, and in the later phases of the Civil War itself.
The second part of the book, titled "A Perilous Education" shows how the initial idealism underlying the soldiers' war effort became hardened and tarnished with the stark reality of combat. The concept of courage didn't disappear but it changed and the soldiers became tougher and more realistic. On occasion cynicism and disilusion set in. The factors leading to this change in perspective were the horrors and deaths on the battlefield, reulting largely from the increased range of Civil War weaponry which helped make the traditional offensive charge (as at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor) ineffective and death-dealing to the agressor. Other factors include the crude Civil War hospitals, with blood and amputation on every side, the long forced marches, the toll of disease in the camps, which led to twice as many deaths as did combat, the boredom of camp life, imprisionment in camps such as Andersonville, the lengthy character of the war, the confiict between volunteers and draftees, and the lack of food and supplies which led soldiers to "forage" from civilians and to strip valuables and clothes from the bodies of dead comrades and enemies. The civil war became a total, brutal war in the final two years. Stonewall Jackson early in the war, and Grant and Sherman subsequently, understood the total nature of the effort that was required to pursue this war.
The idealism with which the volunteers entered the war and their concept of individual effort changed radically when faced with the harshness of the war. This changed their understanding of themselves, the war effort, and their relationship to the civilian population.
There is a lengthy "epilogue' to the book which discusses the fate of the concept of courage following the war and how it evolved through the end of the 19th century. Broadly speaking, a certain nostalgia set in beginning in the 1880's when the original ideals of courage revived in memory and the hardships of the war effort receded.
Lindererman's book is well documented with contemporaneous accounts from the soldiers and with subsequent memoirs. It taught me a great deal about motivation in combat and how it changes with experience. Those interested in pursuing the subject further might be interested in James McPherson's "For Cause and Comrades", which takes issue with Linderman on certain points, and in David Blight's "Race and Reunion". The latter book develops the theme sketched in Linderman's epilogue by showing the effects of time on how people in the United States perceived the conflict of 1861 - 1865.
Title is Misleading.......2002-11-26
When I picked this book up I was excited to read it given that it looked to cover what life was like for the soldier in the field during the Civil War. Unfortunately, a detailed view of the fighting was not exactly what this book offered. The author spent the first third of the book talking about what part courage played in the war effort and with the individual soldier. He goes into detail on the different aspects of how courage and how brave the soldiers effected the way the war was fought, the way the soldiers interacted with each other and the view of the general public. This was somewhat interesting as a study of how personnel emotion and appearances effect the soldier in a war, but this not was I was looking for. I wanted detailed accounts of what it was like to be an every day Joe fighting day in and day out.
This may be a bit harsh in that the second half of the book does get into more detail about the soldiers in battle. He covers many different aspects of the war effort from gathering food and firing weapons to what it was like to get wounded in a fight. I found the information on the looting that took place to be interesting and surprising that these guys would basically steal from their neighbors. I also felt that the writing was just a bit stiff, the author is talking about courage and battle, very moving and exciting topics, unfortunately the book was not. Overall, the book was a solid piece of reporting and research on the topic of bravery and a war effort; it just was not want I was looking for.
Courage and the Civil War Soldier.......2001-12-29
The inability to unerstand the mind set and motivation of another generation is the challenge facing those who attempt to look at the past and particularly those who take a bottoms up approach to the study of history. Gerald Linderman faces this challenge in EMBATTLE COURAGE. Primarily through the use of letters and diaries, Linderman allows the reader to probe the psychological motivation of Civil War soilders and attempts to answer the question: what lead soldiers to fight.
As soldiers lost their connection to the civilian world and suffered from hunger, depravation and the cruelty of war, they abandoned earlier concepts of respect for the property of fallen comrades and opponents. Foraging gave way to looting and looting gave way to destruction of private property. Civilians who watched as spectators during early battles and were considered separate and apart from the military effort were eventualy encompassed into the term enemy. The discussion of civilian involvement and attacks on the civilian population reminded me of discussions during the Vitnam war of attacks by the United States military on civilian villages and the military justification that was provided.
Linderman admits in his introduction that he does not include the 180,000 blacks who fought in the Civil War. He does include women through the use of letters and reflections on thier support on the home front. According to Linderman, women strongly supported te concept of courage throughout the war even after soldiers had abandoned it. However, such statements as "Women in both North and South set themselves staunchly against desertina" (P. 91) seems extremely general and assumes that women were totally accepting of the hardships they were forced to endure. This depiction of their continuing opposition to desterions during the entire war depicts women as static and unaffected by the circumstances of life while one of the themes of the book is the changes of attitude and perception that men experienced. thelong casualty lists, service in hispitals, keeping family farms and plantations operating without fathers brothers and husbands surely affected the attitudes of women regarding desertations and continuation of the war, a point that Linderman fails to consider.
The Civil War soldier marched off to the unknown. He brought with him pieces ofhome, such as homemade quilts lovingly made by mothers, sisters and wives. He also brought with him their shared dreams and social values. Like the homemade quilts, those dreams and social values were left by the side of the road early in the war. The burden of carrying them in the face of combat and death was too heavy. The horrors of war and advances in the technology of fighting changed the soldiers and forced a separation between them and their communities, a relationship that has been open to much historical debate. The war changed the soldiers and they also changed the nation.Gone was the innocence of an earlier age. As America experienced its second revolution, it changeld like the soldiers who fought in it.
Bell Irvin Wiley set the standard for the conventional wisdom on the motivation of Civil War soldiers in his 1943 and 1953 works. Based on his research, Wiley concludes that men enlisted primarily out of ecnoomic need and because their communities pressured them. They stayed and founght largely for the sake of their friends. James W. McPherson, takes a different view. While not dismissing the findings of Wiley and Linderman, McPherson concludes that Union and Confederate soldiers possessed deeply held political and ideological convictions, which were the major reason they enlisted, remained in the ranks and fought. Confederate soldiers acted largely out of the convcition that there were defending rights and liberty and Union soldiers believed that self government and thier own freedom depended upon upholding the Republic against division and anarchy. Emphasizing duty and honor, McPherson finds a strong reliance on obligations of duty and pride.
Linderman looks first at the conception of war held by American soldiers and civilians during the Civil War and then at motivation. He focuses on vlunteers of 1861 and 1862, both North and South, and shows how the values held by these soldiers and their home communities evolved, changed and eventually bifurcated under the stresses of camp life, combat, military hospitals and physical depravation as the war progressed.
In Lnderman's views, the core motivation of Civil War soldiers was courage. However, courage must be seen in light of the companion viruties of manliness, Godliness, duty, honor and kinghtliness, all of which were shared with those on the home front. This concept of courage coupled with religious faith was so strong early in the war that soldiers believed that it protected them from physical harm. And indeed it did protect them as long as both sides held the same standard. Soldiers on opposing sides sometimes withheld fire on an officer or man who demonstrated extraordinary valor in combat. This early war, as described by Linderman, was a war in which men had no respect for sharp shooters and guerila fighters and withheld fire when men were answering to the call of nature. The cessaion of combat by virtue of an informal truce, trading between the lines and withholding firing on pickets was common.
Relying on the letters of literate middle class soldiers, it is interesting the speculate whether or not Linderman would have reached the same conclusions relying on the now silent voices of the generally illiterate lower classes.
Books:
- The New Fred Wiche Lawn and Garden Almanac
- The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling
- The Successful Child: What Parents Can Do to Help Kids Turn Out Well
- Tropica: Color Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants and Trees for Warm-Region Horticulture in Cool Climate the Summer Garden or Sheltered Indoors
- True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism--For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals
- Unwomanly Conduct: The Challenges of Intentional Childlessness
- Venetian Gardens
- Waterfront Homes: 189 Home Plans for River, Lake or Sea
- Waterside Living: Inspirational Homes By Lakes, Rivers, and the Sea
- What Every Parent Should Know About Pinewood Derby Cars and More
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs: Official Companion Book to the Exhibition sponsored
- The Baby Bistro Cookbook: Healthy, Delicious Cuisine for Babies, Toddlers, and You
- Meetings with the Archangel: A Comedy of the Spirit
- Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror
- Producing Great Sound for Digital Video
- Schaum's Outline of College Chemistry
- Spirit of Animals
- The Economics of W. S. Jevons
- Illusions of Equality: Deaf Americans in School and Factory,1850-1950
- Pensions, Politics, and the Elderly: Historic Social Movements and Their Lessons for Our Aging Socie
Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say: Destroying Myths, Creating Love
Why Men Are the Way They Are
The Rantings of a Single Male: Losing Patience with Feminism, Political Correctness... and Basically Everything
Why Men Earn More: The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap -- and What Women Can Do About It
The WAR AGAINST BOYS: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young Men
