NF Looking For Book

[JLGACC]

I know this is an extreme long-shot/hail mary, but I'm searching for an old Civil War book that my family had when I was younger. The book had a lot of sketches, like the ones attached, in it. I'm pretty sure the title was something generic like "The American Civil War".

This was the first book on the Civil War I ever read and got me absolutely hooked on the subject.

Any ideas on the author/year?

Again, I know it's a long shot but wanted to try.

Thanks!

John

 

[Sheltowee]

Here's what I cut my teeth on- loved it. Had battle maps with soldiers depicted in combat, if I remember correctly .

But not sure if same as yours.

 

[JLGACC]

I remember checking that one out @ the library as a kid. Loved that one also, but not the same one.

 

[Library Lady]

Not to get personal, John, but when would you have been reading this book when you were younger? Based on the type of illustrations that grabbed your attention, my first guess would be 1950s or perhaps 1960s as kids books have become progressively more "in color" over the years and the 1960s, being the centennial, certainly produced a lot of Civil War books for all ages. Basically, I'm trying to narrow down the search by knowing the book can't be younger than X.

On the other hand, it sounds like this could be a family "antique" that might have belonged to a parent or even grandparent. Do you remember any details about that? Who did it belong to? When might they have received it? For example, if my Dad had had a favorite new book from about age 10, that would tell me to look for books from the 1930s to possibly early 1940s, at least as a place to start. With multiple editions/reprints (Grosset and Dunlap, that means you!), the copyright could be even earlier.

The other problem is that period illustrations from Harper's or Leslie's which look like what you provided are still used in kids books even today. It's hard to know if what you saw and liked were those or original artwork in the style of those old prints. Original artwork could lead to an illustrator which could lead to the book.

I'm happy to play with the search, but at this point I don't honestly have a lot of hope of finding your book without more information.

 

[Copperhead-mi]

Possibly this book:

Civil War Sketch Book

A landmark collection featuring rare and sensational images of the Civil War., Civil War Sketch Book, Drawings from the Battlefront, Alan Brinkley, Harry L Katz, Vincent Virga, 9780393072204

wwnorton.com

 

[Bonny Blue Flag]

Saw this book for sale on Ebay and Etsy. Prices are from about $6.00 to $12.00. Hard and soft covers.

--BBF

 

[JLGACC]

Not to get personal, John, but when would you have been reading this book when you were younger? Based on the type of illustrations that grabbed your attention, my first guess would be 1950s or perhaps 1960s as kids books have become progressively more "in color" over the years and the 1960s, being the centennial, certainly produced a lot of Civil War books for all ages. Basically, I'm trying to narrow down the search by knowing the book can't be younger than X.

On the other hand, it sounds like this could be a family "antique" that might have belonged to a parent or even grandparent. Do you remember any details about that? Who did it belong to? When might they have received it? For example, if my Dad had had a favorite new book from about age 10, that would tell me to look for books from the 1930s to possibly early 1940s, at least as a place to start. With multiple editions/reprints (Grosset and Dunlap, that means you!), the copyright could be even earlier.

The other problem is that period illustrations from Harper's or Leslie's which look like what you provided are still used in kids books even today. It's hard to know if what you saw and liked were those or original artwork in the style of those old prints. Original artwork could lead to an illustrator which could lead to the book.

I'm happy to play with the search, but at this point I don't honestly have a lot of hope of finding your book without more information.

I'm 44 y/o and the earliest I remember reading this book would be around 2nd grade, so mid 80's. The book looked old even then, so my initial guess was the same as yours, maybe publication in the 1960's. I don't recall any color illustrations in the book.

As far as family antique, neither parent was much help there. They didn't even remember having it.

The pictures I sent on the original email were actual copies from the book that I made at the time. I've got a few more like those, some with words. Will upload them tonight and see if that helps some.

Thanks!

 

[James N.]

I know this is an extreme long-shot/hail mary, but I'm searching for an old Civil War book that my family had when I was younger. The book had a lot of sketches, like the ones attached, in it. I'm pretty sure the title was something generic like "The American Civil War".

This was the first book on the Civil War I ever read and got me absolutely hooked on the subject.

Any ideas on the author/year?

Again, I know it's a long shot but wanted to try.

Thanks!

John

I'd be willing to bet you had one of the several editions of Fletcher Pratt's Civil War In Pictures which I've seen for ages afterward at various antique malls and flea markets, usually in the smaller-proportioned Book Club Edition. It was one of the many titles that came out around the Civil War Centennial 1961-65. There were black-and-white woodcut engravings on almost every page. The thing about it that always annoyed me - even as a kid! - was that it had NO chapter titles or headings - just a continuous stream of text that was sometimes taken directly from the Harper's or Leslie's Weelys in which the pictures first appeared.

Welcome to the forums!

 

[Lincoln56]

Agree with James N. If not his recommendation, possibly this?

Item no longer available

The item you are looking for is no longer available.

www.abebooks.com

 

[Library Lady]

Possibly this book:

Civil War Sketch Book

A landmark collection featuring rare and sensational images of the Civil War., Civil War Sketch Book, Drawings from the Battlefront, Alan Brinkley, Harry L Katz, Vincent Virga, 9780393072204

wwnorton.com

This book is available at my library. I work Sunday. I'll check it out and look for the illustrations John provided in the original post.

 

[James N.]

Here's a photo I copied from Amazon of the Fletcher Pratt book that looks exactly like the copy I have or had. (I don't know whether or not I still have it because after virtually memorizing all the pictures it's of little use to me any more.)

 

[Library Lady]

I'd be willing to bet you had one of the several editions of Fletcher Pratt's The Civil War In Pictures which I've seen for ages afterward at various antique malls and flea markets, usually in the smaller-proportioned Book Club Edition. It was one of the many titles that came out around the Civil War Centennial 1961-65. There were black-and-white woodcut engravings on almost every page. The thing about it that always annoyed me - even as a kid! - was that it had NO chapter titles or headings - just a continuous stream of text that was sometimes taken directly from the Harper's or Leslie's Weelys in which the pictures first appeared.

Welcome to the forums!

This book is available from another library in my library's consortium and is in the Kids Room at that library. The edition is listed as being from 1955. I can place a hold on it and have it sent to my library for pick-up so I can look for the provided pictures. It's hard to tell how long the process will take. With some libraries, it only takes a few days, but with others, it can take a month.

 

[JLGACC]

The other two copies that I made from the book as a kid.

 

[JLGACC]

Agree with James N. If not his recommendation, possibly this?

Item no longer available

The item you are looking for is no longer available.

www.abebooks.com

View attachment 428364

I remember the hardcover was off-white.

 

[JLGACC]

Here's what I cut my teeth on- loved it. Had battle maps with soldiers depicted in combat, if I remember correctly .

But not sure if same as yours.

View attachment 428335

I've still have my original Bruce Catton "Picture History of THE CIVIL WAR" that has a lot of those same maps in it. My 9 y/o son now looks at them the same way I did.

 

[Sheltowee]

View attachment 428438
I've still have my original Bruce Catton "Picture History of THE CIVIL WAR" that has a lot of those same maps in it. My 9 y/o son now looks at them the same way I did.

There it is…… takes me back!

 

[Sheltowee]

A little off topic- but our school library stocked a lot of C.B. Colby's books. Big hit with us boys.

 

[Dutch Waits]

...another book with a lot of woodcuts is Campfire and Battlefield: An Illustrated History of the Great Civil War by Rossiter Johnson, originally published (I believe) in quarto by Knight & Brown, New York, and as a folio by Desmond Publishing Co., Boston, both in 1894. I know it was reprinted in 1958 by The Blue and the Gray Press, in 1967 by The Civil War Press, in 1978 by The Fairfax Press, and probably several other editions.
But my first thought was that they came from Fletcher Pratt's The Civil War in Pictures (1955).

 

[Library Lady]

This book is available at my library. I work Sunday. I'll check it out and look for the illustrations John provided in the original post.

I checked a little further in the catalogue (which I should have done to begin with) and found that this book (Civil War Sketch Book) is listed as being from 2012 as a first edition so probably too "young" to be John's book. I'll still check it out because paging through Civil War books looking at pictures is not exactly a fate worse than death.

 

[Louisiana Jayhawker]

My first book on Civil War as a child in the late 1950's was entirely filled with HARPER'S WEEKLY illustrations (pencil drawings) that I assume run in their newspapers during the War. The narrations were general light captions, but entire War was covered. It was a small book of dark color maybe dark blue. I rented it repeatedly from the rural travelling library bus during summers in back woods Louisiana. I know not the name of the book. Maybe worth a lot of money today.