John Ransom
John Ransom's Andersonville Diary (1986)
Author: John Ransom
Genre: Historical Nonfiction
Book Summary:
John Ransom was a Union solider captured near Rogersville, Tennessee on November 6th, 1863. He would remain a prisoner of war for the duration of the conflict. He would also be held in what is considered the worst, most vile Confederate prison ever, Andersonville. Twenty-seven thousand Union men crammed into a valley only several acres large, living in their own waste and dead brethren, being fed not enough even to sustain a baby. This novel is a diary that Ransom kept throughout his capture and shows the struggles and hardships under which he was pressed, day in and day out. A great story about the indomitable human spirit.
Geographical Setting: Belle Island; Richmond, Virginia; Andersonville, Georgia; Savannah, Georgia
Time Period: Civil War, 1861-1865
Appeal Characteristics:
Obviously the theme of the book, the American Civil War, is a prominent appeal characteristic. Also, in that it was a personal diary of a soldier really makes reading it seem much more intimate. The reader believes the narrator because he is chronicling his experiences at the same moment they are occurring. Ransom's positive tone in the midst of such horrors and trials uplifts the reader. One could almost consider this an inspirational novel of a sort. Lastly, the nonfiction element draws many readers to it.
Read-alikes: For an authoritative representation and retelling of the entire war read The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote. He is considered the most knowledgeable expert in his field. If a personal diary of a soldier appeals, then read Co. AYTCH by Sam Watkins, a Confederate soldier. Perhaps you want to read more in depth biographies of the key players in the war, read Grant by Jean Edward Smith. For fiction novels concerning the war and those affected by it read Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier or The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.
Red Flags: Graphic descriptions of prison life, violence
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