Civil War Trivia and Fact Book

by Webb B. Garrison

No matter how well-versed you think you are in Civil War trivia, this book will enlighten & entertain you with little-known details of one of the most important events in American history, Distinguished Northerners who fought for the Confederacy; the future Supreme Court justice who yelled "Get down, you fool!" when Abraham Lincoln exposed himself to enemy fire; the name of the first soldier to receive the Congressional Medial of Honor; the identity of the famous general whose ancestral estate became Arlington National Cemetery; and the state in which the greatest number of clashes between Union & Confederate troops occurred.

Genres: Civil War, History, Nonfiction, American Civil War, Trivia, American History

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Webb Garrison, formerly associate dean of Emory University and president of McKendree College, wrote more than 55 books. Before his death in 2000, Garrison lived in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.

Reviews

[Mary JL · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always had an interest in military history. The book has some intersting bit s of trivia; some nice photograps and drawings; and I did learns some facts I did not know.

The trivia questions and sidebar atricles are okay. But I have a serious problem. Near each photograpgh, the written text has problems.

Okay. Page 101--a picture of the shelling of Fort Sumter. The text: "Considerable evidence suggests that Abraham deliberately provoked insurgents into firing on Fort Sumter so that the Union would not be perceived as having started the war:"

To make such an assertation and not back it up--with at least a reference to where such 'evidence' might be found--is poor writing for a historian in THIS typle of book. On page 145--I'll paraphrase here--he makes the claim that "only the man from Illinois" was so wedded to the idea of the Union that he would not compromise. Again, no footnote or other reference--just a flat statemnet as if both these pieces of information were unquestioned facts.

I do NOT mind historians stating their opinion--but I expect that opnion to be backed up with some discussion. To state these two opinions as if they were facts might mislead some readers.

For example, I have read enough Civil War history to know that many, many person--on BOTH the Union and Confederate were NOT in any mood to compromise. The North and the South had been in conflict for years and things were coming to the boiling point.

Worth a glance of the neat photoes and the trivia--just remember that just because it is written in print, it is not necessarily true.

REcommend for Civil War fnas and history fans; but there are much better books out there.

[Tom Darrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Below average collection of Civil War trivia. Each tidbit is given in question and answer form and some are downright lame (ex. did you know that Confederate troops threw rocks at the Second Battle of Bull Run?). Additionally, it is clear that this book was not well-edited... there are numerous historical inaccuracies and grammatical errors.

With a topic as well covered as the Civil War... a reader can find many better collections of trivia.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

What seems like a simply book full of questions and answers, is actually an in-depth look at the battles within the Civil War and is a reminder of how devastating it was.

[Nicholas McCaulley · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5/5 includes outright false trivia.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about 2,0000 unusual, interesting and little known facts about the Civil War. The book talks about the generals that fought the war, the civilians that were in it, the journalists that covered it.It also talks about transportation and communication. 11 states seceded to form the Confederacy. This book has so many interesting tidbits about everything pertaining to the the Civil War.

[David Kent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very interesting bits of trivia in a Question and Answer format.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually got this book from Grandpa Howard (Pap-Pap). Read it when I was a young boy. Very cool book.

[G. B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very interesting and well organized book. It contained material that I have not in countered during my years of reading and studying the Civil War. The topics were long enough to hold your interest but not so lengthy as to become repetitive. I would recommend this as a book for a beginner or one well informed on the topic. It is well worth time time spend reading. It is a thick book and requires a number of weeks to complete. One does not sit down and just read through to the end. It is like a textbook that requires time to reflect and digest what has been read.