Chamberlain Chamberlain, worth the drive?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Does anyone know Dr. Dennis Rasbauch and if he is a good speaker? I think I heard him talk about Lincoln once.

He is giving a presentation at the Monroe CWRT on Thursday called Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the Battle of Petersburg. It will be at the Ellis Library in Monroe Michigan.

This is about a two hour drive for me and thus a bit far. Still I am thinking of going. I could make a day of it. The Monroe County Museum has a nice collection and I could see some great Custer stuff. Also it has been a few years since I have visited the Battle of Frenchtown National Battlefield.

Still two hours is a bit of a drive if Dr. Rasbauch's presentation is disappointing. Go or skip this?
 
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Also is Dr. Rasbauch's book, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the Battle of Petersburg worth reading? I usually end up buying the book the presentation is about.
 
I often purchase these books at CWRT and then never read them. I am fairly sure I have seen Dr. Dennis Rasbauch before. I have been thinking of going to the Battle of Frenchtown National Battlefield this summer when the weather is better but could move up my trip. Two or two and a half hour drive in a snow storm is not my idea of fun. The chances of a snow storm in May are much lower than the chances of one in April. It has snowed three days in a row but not heavy snow, I drove home in the snow last night.
 
I often purchase these books at CWRT and then never read them. I am fairly sure I have seen Dr. Dennis Rasbauch before. I have been thinking of going to the Battle of Frenchtown National Battlefield this summer when the weather is better but could move up my trip. Two or two and a half hour drive in a snow storm is not my idea of fun. The chances of a snow storm in May are much lower than the chances of one in April. It has snowed three days in a row but not heavy snow, I drove home in the snow last night.
I can appreciate that.:D
 
Late coming response, but:

The book is well written and argued. Often times, folks make claims but fail to back it up with examples in why he / she made an argument in the first place (think of it as required 'evidence' in a courtroom). What I particularly respect about the book is that it was: objective, supplemented with various perspectives (history is all about perspective), multiple sources to back up or contradict claims, and he spent quality time on the ground retracing the actual steps of those involved in the 64' assault. I actually wish that more history books would be written in this style in what I would call 'post revisionist' form, meaning that this literary piece was written long after the actual event had taken place and is dispassionate with regards to favoritism and misc. influences, such as not taking any personal partiality, etc. unlike how some historical books of the Civil War were written, say, in the 1930s, 50s, 60s were prone to being. For instance, entire accounts of the magnificent roles African-Americans played in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and WWI were wholly discredited for far too long until fairly recently...

Can you imagine how much re-writing would take place if more authors like Dr. Rasbach would reexamine the historical facts? It makes one think...
 
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