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Showing posts from December, 2023

Elizabeth Varon - Longstreet : the confederate general who defied the South

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  I want to start with how astonished I was how much material was in this book that was completely new to me. And I have most of the biographies written about Longstreet in my possession. Most books don’t cover the post war period at all but some of the more modern ones do, but none go into the detail that this book does. So kudo’s for all the research done and the facts uncovered. The good Most of the book was devoted to the pre and post war period of Longstreet’s life. I found it an intriguing read. What surprised me most were the detailed accounts of the slaves Longstreet owned before and during the war. Especially as there had been no proof of this before as far as I know. And the fact that Longstreet was an ardent believer in slavery before the war. As well as some speeches and actions during the war. To be honest that part shocked me a little bit. But it makes his change after the war even bigger. What makes a man who felt at home in a world were slavery was normal and sa