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Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > Civil War Talk > General Civil War Talk > What got you interested in the CW? |
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Civil War Interactive Discussion Board > Civil War Talk > General Civil War Talk > What got you interested in the CW? |
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| What got you interested in the CW? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sat Sep 6th, 2008 02:36 pm |
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21st Post |
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Wrap10 Member 
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Hi Susan, You can still get a copy of that book if you'd like, for as little as two bucks. Not bad for a true American classic.  Here's a link to Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Book-Civil-War/dp/B000EEYUJ4 It's funny, but maybe it was some kind of fate for me to have that book - the cover is a picture of the Battle Above the Clouds...on Lookout Mountain. Speaking of which, General Hooker was kind of a hero to me when I was a kid, before I learned about Chancellorsville and all. Back then, the only thing I really knew about him was that he commanded at the battle depicted on that book cover, and was nicknamed "Fighting Joe." Now how can a kid not like someone called Fighting Joe, who goes around winning battles fought above the clouds? I still remember when I first read about Chancellorsville, in an issue of Civil War Times Illustrated. I was crushed. Kind of like Fighting Joe in that battle.  Perry
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| Posted: Sat Sep 6th, 2008 07:59 pm |
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22nd Post |
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susansweet Member 
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Perry I looked into buying a copy of the book a long time ago but then realized it is a child's verison of the Bruce Catton book I already have so didn't order it. I would rather spend my money on buying those orange biographies I loved so much when I was growing up. Those and the Landmark books were my history books outside school. Susan
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| Posted: Sat Sep 6th, 2008 11:57 pm |
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23rd Post |
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Wrap10 Member
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I understand, Susan. It is a kid's book, but then again, some folks would say that makes it a perfect fit for me. I'm good with that. Plus, I still take it out now and then and flip through it. I was always fascinated by the maps, and I still like to look at them, and re-read some of the text. It's kind of neat to remember when you first read something, and then go back years later and re-read it again. See how your perspective has changed. It's nice that we can still have access to books like the ones we've brought up here, that helped start us out in learning about the war. It's one of the great things about the Internet, is being able to track down old books like that, sometimes pretty quickly. And be able to take part on boards like this. Perry
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| Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 12:13 am |
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24th Post |
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pamc153PA Member
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Most of the 9th grade honors scoial studies kids we take on a field trip to Gettysburg each year are not really all that interested in the war (we have to stress to the girls that they should NOT wear flip flops because they'll be walking the battefield!), but there are always several who are, whose parents have taken them to G-burg before, and who know a lot on their own. A few years ago, after our guide had talked about the guns (20-pounders, I believe) that surround the Peace Memorial on Oak Hill, a group of those young CW enthusiasts on their own portrayed an entire artillery crew, each taking up a position and pretending to "do" the job--holding a ramrod, thumb over the hole, etc., and each of them had the classic CW look: squinty and totally serious, no smiles anywhere. They had someone take a picture, and then surprised each of us chaperones with a copy, printed out in sepia. It was so cool, especially since it was obvious that they loved being "correct" as any 15-year old can be. I framed it, and still have it hanging in my classroom. It makes me grin each time I look at it! Pam
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| Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 12:16 am |
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25th Post |
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Crazy Delawares Member 
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Then the trip is worth it! Every year!
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| Posted: Tue Sep 9th, 2008 08:47 pm |
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26th Post |
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Bighouse Member 
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I had always had a marginal interest in the CW for as long as I can remember. My interest was really sparked however, while I was still working in EMS and there was a CW re-enactment for my hometown's sesquicentennial in 1982. I was on the end of the field with great view of the battle, though I wasn't an actual participant. This led to my reading up on the war, and interests in local sites such as the Alton Confederate prison,etc. It wasn't until after my divorce that a friend who was starting a local re-enactment unit recruited me, and 16 years later, I'm still at it. After my Father's death I began researching our family history, leading me to find direct links to both sides. I'm now beginning to get involved in historic preservation of local homes, gravesites, etc. with links to the war.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 9th, 2008 09:20 pm |
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27th Post |
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Lawrence63 Teen Civil War Historian 
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Even though I live just a few miles away from Gettysburg, until I was 9 the most I knew of the town was the Wal-Mart. Then one fall day my parents told my sister and I that we would be spending the weekend at the Eisenhower complex. We toured the battlefield sans guide, took a picture of my sister and I on Big Round Top (which I have framed in my room), and took in the broad spectrum of the Gettysburg experience. When I came back to school that Monday, I went to the library and checked out as many books as I can. I've been hooked, or as my parents say, obsessed, ever since.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 9th, 2008 11:45 pm |
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28th Post |
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Scout Member
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My interest was more like fascination. I was young and little, about 8 when I was walking around the farm my dad's mom grew up on with my grandpa and little brother. While on the hill in back of the property which was heavily wooded and second only to the creek and pond for exploring purposes...we (I) found a cannonball. My brother 4 or so at the time, attempted to kick it, but Pa stepped in and said we'd better just let that alone. We then got a short tale about the fort that the soldiers built to protect themselves and guard the road. and the skirmishes that took place. I was hooked. Later, our granny (great -grandmother) told us about the relic hunters who found bullets, and buckles, scabard, etc. I picked up books from both grandads and became an easy christmas gift for my aunts...so I have built up a few books over the years, mostly when I was a teen. Last edited on Tue Sep 9th, 2008 11:49 pm by Scout |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10th, 2008 09:45 pm |
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29th Post |
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Sarladaise Member
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Growing up in Austria I first learned about the American Civil War in history class at school (at that time I didn't like history, too many boring dates and names to remember). At about age 14, I spent school holidays with my aunt and, having run out of things to read, I searched through her bookcase and came across "Gone with the Wind" (in German) and just couldn't put it down! But then I saw the film "Serengeti shall not die" and I had but one dream: to go to Africa and see that beautiful landscape and the wild animals for myself. So, after graduating from business school I applied for a job at the Austrian Foreign Office, was accepted, and after a year's training and 2 years at the Consulate in Munich, I was posted to our Embassy in Nairobi, where I spent 5 years (the Game Parks were just as breathtaking as in the film). I also met my future husband in Kenya and when he was transferred to Nigeria, I went with him and later on to Kuwait. In 1982 he was transferred to the US (New Jersey) and I started work at the Austrian Consulate in New York. On one of our trips to get to know the country which would be our home for the next 9 years, we visited Gettysburg and my interest in the Civil War was rekindled. The first "serious" Civil War book I read was "Battlecry of Freedom". Other books followed, the more I read, the more I wanted to know. After leaving the US we moved to France, then to Kuwait again, to finally settle in a small medieval town in the south-west of France . We had both retired from our jobs and operated a B&B for some years. We often went back to the US and I always brought back a bag full of CW books (even had to pay customs duty on them once). In 2000 we got Internet connection and I immediately started to look for CW sites, came across CWinteractive, was surprised at how often the CW still features in the news and have become a trivia addict..
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