| 48-4861 | E468 | 2010-3733 CIP | | Reference Social & Behavioral Sciences | | Ouchley, Kelby. Flora and fauna of the Civil War: an environmental reference guide. Louisiana State, 2010. 259p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780807136881, $29.95. Reviewed in 2011may CHOICE. | | As the US begins to mark the sesquicentennial of the beginning of the Civil War, countless volumes will appear to acknowledge this tragic period in American history. Few works will reflect such labor and love as this volume, which also offers interesting insights into often-neglected themes in the role of natural history in this conflict. Independent scholar Ouchley does not offer a detailed assessment of the consequences of the march of Union and Confederate armies upon the natural world, but rather a review of the impression and use of the flora and fauna of the war’s theaters as revealed in letters, diaries, and journals of the participants. This work focuses on wild, rather than domestic, animals and plants in the regions where most of the battles were fought–essentially the area east of the 100th meridian and south of the 40th parallel. The structure of the work is quite simple. The author identifies a particular example of flora or fauna, gives an interesting, succinct review of its natural history and human use, and then provides allusions found in the diverse contemporary sources he examined. In addition to the natural history material, this volume provides engaging environmental, economic, social, and cultural insights into the lives of the soldiers of this war. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers. — P. D. Thomas, emeritus, Wichita State University |
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