Shelby Foote died

[wushijiao]

Like the title says, the great historian and storyteller Shelby Foote died.

Any American Civil War buffs out there?

Here is an article from Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2121924/?nav=fo

Our nation's obituarists responded to the death of the Civil War historian Shelby Foote on Monday night by splitting, roughly, into two familiar camps: those above and those below the Mason-Dixon line. Foote was universally recognized for his three-volume history The Civil War: A Narrative, which he published beginning in 1958, and more recently for his star turn in Ken Burns' 1991 PBS documentary. The tenor of the Northern praise was respectful, occasionally admiring, but restrained—at least compared to the Southerners, a number of whom had reverential firsthand tales of droll conversations and shared bourbons with the elegant, puckish Mississippian. One columnist from North Carolina called Foote's history of the Civil War "the Iliad of our nation," while a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lamented, "we've lost a modern day Homer." One Washington Post writer boldly ventured that with Foote's passing now the Civil War could "finally be over."

[peeyuwu]

July 7, 2005

Never read any of his works but did see him narrating parts of Ken Burn's epic TV series "The Civil War". Came across the screen as warm, gentle and well learned. Spoke with this beautiful southern drawl which probably made him appear more gentle than he actually was (don't know since I don't know the person). He was always able to impart the human element into whatever topic of the war which he was talking about. Although a sourthener and and sympathezied with the soldiers who fought for states rights, he also realized that the preservation of the Union was best for the nation. He also despised the institution of slavery. A wonderful man whom it would be enjoyable and educational to talk to for hours on end.

I make no claim to being a Civil War buff, however, living but 90 miles away from Manassas (1st 2nd Bull Run/Stonewall Jackson), Gettysburg (bloodiest 3 days) and Antietam (bloodiest day) I have developed a deep interest in this conflict (which battle was the bloodiest hour? Chancellorsville, Vicksburg or some skimirsh in the Battle of the Wilderness?).

P5

[wushijiao]

make no claim to being a Civil War buff, however, living but 90 miles away from Manassas (1st 2nd Bull Run/Stonewall Jackson), Gettysburg (bloodiest 3 days) and Antietam (bloodiest day) I have developed a deep interest in this conflict (which battle was the bloodiest hour? Chancellorsville, Vicksburg or some skimirsh in the Battle of the Wilderness?).

Part of my family lives in Lancaster, PA, so I have been to some of those sights as well. I am not that big of a Civil War buff (although I'd like to be one some day), but my dad used to drag me along to Civil war sights on family vacations when I was young. My family used to take massive road trips throughout the US and Canada every summer that would cover over 5000 miles sometimes. However, that was a long time ago, and unfortunately I don't remember many details of the Civil War sights.

Never read any of his works but did see him narrating parts of Ken Burn's epic TV series "The Civil War". Came across the screen as warm, gentle and well learned. Spoke with this beautiful southern drawl which probably made him appear more gentle than he actually was (don't know since I don't know the person). He was always able to impart the human element into whatever topic of the war which he was talking about.

This is the same impression he gave me too. I loved when he said things like, "Behfoh the Civil Waah, people used da say the Utined States "awh". But aftah the Waah, people started to say the United States "is""