Somebody's Darling

In his latest book, Kent Gramm once again explores the meaning of the Civil War experience in our lives. The essays in this book explore philosophical and personal aspects of the War that lie outside the scope of traditional historical study. They probe the meaning of Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Antietam; the lives of U. S. Grant, R. E. Lee, O. O. Howard, and Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce; and the legacy of the unknown participant, "somebody's darling," for whom the war would come to encompass everything. The Iron Brigade appears, along with its twentieth century successor, the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division. Readers of Gramm's previous books will not be surprised to find essays that touch on the works of Walt Whitman, John Keats, Henrik Ibsen, and Halldor Laxness, as well as such literary and religious works as the Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. Gramm also treats more popular fare, such as the movie Gettysburg and the series of books on the Ghosts of Gettysburg. In each of his subjects, Gramm finds the deep, personal significance of the profoundly universal experience of the war, as he ponders the special meaning of the Civil War in so many American lives.