Kenneth W. Noe

Review part of a larger article:
Timely Take-Aways for Life-Long Learning: American Civil War
Whether exploring a prison, state, or mandate, each of these recently published titles focuses on a lesser-known aspect of the Civil War. Educators will find the specific examples useful in helping students understand the challenges of specific aspects of war from muddy conditions to historical inaccuracies.
Escape: The Story of the Confederacy’s Infamous Libby Prison and the Civil War’s Largest Jail Break
Robert P. Watson, Aug 2021, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers/National Book Network
Themes: United States History, Civil War Period
ESCAPE provides a comprehensive examination of Libby Prison including key prisoners, brutal prison conditions, and the large prison break. Divided into five sections, readers follow the evolution of the prison, its guards, and its prisoners through the War.
Take-aways: Students are fascinated by war-time prisons and particularly prison breaks. Educators will find Libby Prison to be a useful in-depth example of this aspect of war.
Myths of the Civil War: The Fact, Fiction, and Science behind the Civil War’s Most-Told Stories
Scott Hippensteel, Nov 2021, Stackpole Books/National Book Network
Themes: United States History, Civil War Period
MYTHS OF THE CIVIL WAR applies science to address inaccuracies often found in Civil War memoirs and histories. Each chapter seeks to identify the fact and fiction of historical claims.
Take-aways: Myths are an effective way to discuss common misconceptions about war. This is particularly true of the Civil War period where so many fictionalize accounts exist.
The Civil War in Maryland Reconsidered
Charles W. Mitchell & Jean H. Baker (eds), Nov 2021, LSU Press/Longleaf Services
Themes: United States History, Civil War Period
THE CIVIL WAR IN MARYLAND RECONSIDERED shares over a dozen well-researched essays examining the unique position of this volatile border state during the turbulent war years.
Take-aways: Educators will find numerous examples of the challenges faced by those living in a border state during war. Refreshing insights and innovative interpretations are notable.
Confederate Conscription and the Struggle for Southern Soldiers
John M. Sacher, Nov 2021, LSU Press/Longleaf Services
Themes: United States History, Civil War Period
CONFEDERATE CONSCRIPTION AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SOUTHERN SOLDIERS explores the struggle of the Confederacy to balance ideology and the need for a strong military.
Take-aways: As they near selective service age, students have a keen interest in issues related to the possibility of their own conscription. Use this connection for class discussions.
The Howling Storm: Weather, Climate, and the American Civil War
Kenneth W. Noe, Oct 2020, LSU Press/Longleaf Services
Themes: United States History, Civil War Period
THE HOWLING STORM explores the impact of weather on soldiers and the war year-by-year. From mud and ice to heat and drought, each chapter examines a specific challenge
Take-aways: Student interest in climate change provides a timely connection for discussion of weather during wartime. Use book examples to spark inquiries in Civil War logistics.
Whether helping educators keep up-to-date in their subject-areas, promoting student reading in the content-areas, or simply encouraging nonfiction leisure reading, teacher librarians need to be aware of the best new titles across the curriculum and how to activate life-long learning. - Annette Lamb… (lisätietoja)

The first third of the book seemed too psychological and statistical. Noe is making the case for a distinction in motivation between soldiers who enlisted at the beginning of the war and those who joined later. But he keeps making points and then hedging that the data pool is too limited. If his researched found a paucity of samples for his thesis, why publish the book?

Fortunately, the last 2/3 improved. It became more of a general discussion of soldiers’ motivation, with only occasional attempts to force the later-enlisting Confederates into a coherent group with unique characteristics.

It’s interesting that Noe kowtows to the academic claim that Confederate soldiers fought ONLY to perpetuate slavery but then at various points undermines this simplistic claim.

A good read, but only three stars because, to me, it frustratingly failed to give me a convincing picture of any uniqueness to the late-enlisting Confederates.… (lisätietoja)