slerner310's review against another edition
5.0
An outstanding piece of historical writing. I couldn't put it down. The true story of what happened during Reconstruction following the Civil War. Deeply disturbing and deeply relevant to an understanding of contemporary America.
librarianonparade's review against another edition
3.0
I feel as though through the subject matter alone I should give this book five stars, if only so people might be more inclined to read it and realise the true horrors of Reconstruction in the post-Civil War South. This sad recounting of misery, brutality, murder and sheer inhumanity of the Southern whites towards the freed slaves was truly monstrous to read: if the brutalised freedmen had risen up and massacred every last one of their persecutors it would have been justifiable homicide. Truly, it can be said that the Northern states won the war and lost the peace. Sadly, it was the freed slaves who paid the price, not the North.
But I would not give this book five stars. I found it a frustrating read, not because of the content (although heaven knows that was painful reading), but because of Budiansky's chosen narrative style. At times this book reads very much like History, and it skips along in a readable authoritative style. But particularly when it comes to recounting particular events (usually, murders, massacres and lynchings) he switches to an almost folksy, down-home style, full of references to people's 'daddies', with long run-on sentences and irreverent asides, as though one could imagine an old-timer recounting the tale to wide-eyed audience. It's clearly meant to impart emotion and drama to the tale, but I found it had the opposite effect on me.
I also found it a shame that whilst Budiansky hinges his narrative on the lives of a number of individuals, all bar one were white. Personalising the story certainly gives it weight, and I can understand the approach, but one cannot help but feel the absence of those freed slaves' voices - White Saviour narratives are ten-a-penny even in the post-Civil War South. But he has clearly done his homework, and whilst this is no scholarly authoritative history text, it sure packs a punch.
But I would not give this book five stars. I found it a frustrating read, not because of the content (although heaven knows that was painful reading), but because of Budiansky's chosen narrative style. At times this book reads very much like History, and it skips along in a readable authoritative style. But particularly when it comes to recounting particular events (usually, murders, massacres and lynchings) he switches to an almost folksy, down-home style, full of references to people's 'daddies', with long run-on sentences and irreverent asides, as though one could imagine an old-timer recounting the tale to wide-eyed audience. It's clearly meant to impart emotion and drama to the tale, but I found it had the opposite effect on me.
I also found it a shame that whilst Budiansky hinges his narrative on the lives of a number of individuals, all bar one were white. Personalising the story certainly gives it weight, and I can understand the approach, but one cannot help but feel the absence of those freed slaves' voices - White Saviour narratives are ten-a-penny even in the post-Civil War South. But he has clearly done his homework, and whilst this is no scholarly authoritative history text, it sure packs a punch.
dolanmara's review against another edition
read upon recommendation from a friend! wish I was able to integrate it into a history class/discussion as there was lots of coming up for me around how this historian/writer works to illuminate pieces of how Southern (white) resistance to Reconstruction looked and happened that I wanted to be in conversation about. i appreciated the narrative-driven style of writing. the story of white terrorism after the Confederacy was defeated - and federal deference and inability to address it - should obviously be covered in any u.s. history course but typically sucks. wish there was a bit less of an emphasis on the well-intentioned white political leaders or at least a critical eye to some of their more selfish ambitions.
nateweida's review against another edition
2.0
I must say that while I do agree, for the most part, with his politics on Reconstruction; betrayals and downright Southern nastiness, this guy doesn't let the reader get a break from superfluous spiteful commentary after using great quotes and examples that more than prove his point. He clearly hates the South for their feelings of entitlement to be slave masters (which I too can hate) but his anger is behind every word of his narrative and I just got tired of reading. It became more of a rant than a history, a history that can effortlessly vilify the South if that's your objective. It felt like he either didn't trust himself or his readers to get his point, and that's not so fun to read. For an incredible Reconstruction history, read Eric Foner's "Reconstruction" or the abridged version called, "A Short History of Reconstruction"
librarianonparade's review against another edition
3.0
I feel as though through the subject matter alone I should give this book five stars, if only so people might be more inclined to read it and realise the true horrors of Reconstruction in the post-Civil War South. This sad recounting of misery, brutality, murder and sheer inhumanity of the Southern whites towards the freed slaves was truly monstrous to read: if the brutalised freedmen had risen up and massacred every last one of their persecutors it would have been justifiable homicide. Truly, it can be said that the Northern states won the war and lost the peace. Sadly, it was the freed slaves who paid the price, not the North.
But I would not give this book five stars. I found it a frustrating read, not because of the content (although heaven knows that was painful reading), but because of Budiansky's chosen narrative style. At times this book reads very much like History, and it skips along in a readable authoritative style. But particularly when it comes to recounting particular events (usually, murders, massacres and lynchings) he switches to an almost folksy, down-home style, full of references to people's 'daddies', with long run-on sentences and irreverent asides, as though one could imagine an old-timer recounting the tale to wide-eyed audience. It's clearly meant to impart emotion and drama to the tale, but I found it had the opposite effect on me.
I also found it a shame that whilst Budiansky hinges his narrative on the lives of a number of individuals, all bar one were white. Personalising the story certainly gives it weight, and I can understand the approach, but one cannot help but feel the absence of those freed slaves' voices - White Saviour narratives are ten-a-penny even in the post-Civil War South. But he has clearly done his homework, and whilst this is no scholarly authoritative history text, it sure packs a punch.
But I would not give this book five stars. I found it a frustrating read, not because of the content (although heaven knows that was painful reading), but because of Budiansky's chosen narrative style. At times this book reads very much like History, and it skips along in a readable authoritative style. But particularly when it comes to recounting particular events (usually, murders, massacres and lynchings) he switches to an almost folksy, down-home style, full of references to people's 'daddies', with long run-on sentences and irreverent asides, as though one could imagine an old-timer recounting the tale to wide-eyed audience. It's clearly meant to impart emotion and drama to the tale, but I found it had the opposite effect on me.
I also found it a shame that whilst Budiansky hinges his narrative on the lives of a number of individuals, all bar one were white. Personalising the story certainly gives it weight, and I can understand the approach, but one cannot help but feel the absence of those freed slaves' voices - White Saviour narratives are ten-a-penny even in the post-Civil War South. But he has clearly done his homework, and whilst this is no scholarly authoritative history text, it sure packs a punch.
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