Anyone who knows me pretty well knows that I love history, particularly American history. And one of my favorite time periods is the American Civil War. So, when I saw this book in the new section at the library, it definitely piqued my interest. Obviously, a ton has been written about Lincoln, his presidency, and his assassination. But not much has been told about Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. This book covers only a small part of him and his life, but more than I have seen.
This was a pretty good read. I think more space was devoted to Lincoln, but a fair amount was spent on Davis. I really like the background that was given on both of them. It was interesting to see how much they did have in common and how Davis was way more well-known and on the presidential track. But obviously, their fortunes parted way during the Civil War era and Lincoln is now the more famous President.
I also never realized how much went into Lincoln's funeral and that he was put on public display on his way back to Springfield, IL for his burial. He wasn't buried until about 2 weeks after his death - and the embalmers were fighting a losing battle most of the journey. But the displays put on by his host cities was amazing. Every city had special hearses made for him and some even built special tents and buildings to hold the viewings.
I also thought it was interesting that even after Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox Courthouse, Davis was convinced the Confederacy could survive. It took about a month for him to be captured. Interestingly enough, even though he was charged with treason, he was never tried. Some historians believe this gives credence to the charge that the Confederacy had the right to revolt and should not have been forced to stay in the Union. Interesting thought.
Anyway, I recommend this book to people who love American history during the Civil War era. Otherwise, you might find it a little boring! But I'd give it a thumbs up!
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