Available from University Press of Kentucky, 06/12
Earlier this week I learned that my forthcoming book on the Crater is now available at Amazon. Get it while it’s almost hot!
Description:
The Battle of the Crater is known as one of the Civil War’s bloodiest struggles—a Union loss with combined casualties of 5,000, many of whom were members of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) under Union Brigadier General Edward Ferrero. The battle was a violent clash of forces as Confederate soldiers fought for the first time against African American soldiers. After the Union lost the battle, these black soldiers were captured and subject both to extensive abuse and the threat of being returned to slavery in the South. Yet, despite their heroism and sacrifice, these men are often overlooked in public memory of the war.
In Remembering The Battle of the Crater: War is Murder, Kevin M. Levin addresses the shared recollection of a battle that epitomizes the way Americans have chosen to remember, or in many cases forget, the presence of the USCT. The volume analyzes how the racial component of the war’s history was portrayed at various points during the 140 years following its conclusion, illuminating the social changes and challenges experienced by the nation as a whole. Remembering The Battle of the Crater gives the members of the USCT a newfound voice in history.
Reviews:
“Levin offers something new and valuable in this book. His approach of unpacking the complex telling and forgetting of the events surrounding one battle allows him a focus and specificity that even many very good treatments of historical memory often lack. Remembering the Battle of the Crater stands to make a real and lasting contribution to the field of Civil War memory studies.”–
Anne Marshall, author of Creating a Confederate Kentucky: The Lost Cause and Civil War Memory in a Border State
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Kevin -
Will we be able to get signed copies direct from you? Thanks, Paul
Hi Paul,
Nice to hear from you. I am going to have to ask the publisher about that. This is all new to me.
You can put me down for one!
You got it.
That’s what I want to know. How do I get it signed?
Perhaps I will go on a cross-country book tour.
I am going to be doing a book signing at the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago next summer. The signing is live online, which allows you to order a signed copy.
I grew up in Hopewell, Va. – better known in Civil War history as City Point, but it is located right next to Petersburg, and I have been through Petersburg National Battlefield Park probably well over 100 times. The Crater was always my favorite spot within the park. I am looking forward to getting my copy of your book. I too, would like a signed copy, so I will check back here often to find out how to get one. Thank you Kevin, for writing it!
Hi Scott,
I am sure we can arrange for an autographed copy. I guess this means I need to start working on developing a stylish signature.
Looking at the painting on the cover, check the ranks in gray, 11th guy from the left, I am SURE that’s a Black Confederate!
I knew we would eventually find one, but not on the cover of my first book.