By glorifying the now aged, impoverished, and infirm Continental soldiers as republican warriors, the image also accentuated the nation's guilt for its ingratitude toward the veterans."--BOOK JACKET.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • An "extraordinary ... profoundly moving" history (The New York Times Book Review) of the American Civil War that reveals the ways that death on such a scale changed not only individual lives but the life of the nation. An estiated 750,000 soldiers lost their lives in the American Civil War. An equivalent proportion of today's population would be seven and a half million. In This Republic of Suffering, Drew Gilpin Faust describes how the survivors managed on a practical level and how a deeply religious culture struggled to reconcile the unprecedented carnage with its belief in a benevolent God. Throughout, the voices of soldiers and their families, of statesmen, generals, preachers, poets, surgeons, nurses, northerners and southerners come together to give us a vivid understanding of the Civil War's most fundamental and widely shared reality. With a new introduction by the author, and a new foreword by Mike Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Joseph Plumb Martin (1760 – 1850) was a soldier in the Continental Army and Connecticut Militia during the American Revolutionary War, holding the rank of private for most of the war. His published narrative of his experiences has become a valuable resource for historians in understanding the conditions of a common soldier of that era, as well as the battles in which Martin participated. "My intention is to give a succinct account of some of my adventures, dangers and sufferings during my several campaigns in the revolutionary army." Contents: Campaign of 1776. Campaign of 1777. Campaign of 1778. Campaign of 1779. Campaign of 1780. Campaign of 1781. Campaign of 1782. Campaign of 1783.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder than can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event."This is the Wikipedia description for PTSD. Anyone can look it up. Everyone knows that military personnel are likely to face difficult and challenging situations. You may think: 'Yes, I get that, God knows what these serving boys and girls have seen and been through.' You can try and imagine, but that is all you can do. I also did not understand, until I experienced first-hand the impact of PTSD.Through the stories of six veterans, this book seeks to give insight into their broken hearts, bodies and minds- and the hell they experienced. This invisible hell of the traumatic sights, sounds, smells, screams, and pain cannot be forgotten and continues to haunt these veterans.Nothing can make these experiences go away - that is impossible. But beyond their harrowing experiences, many veterans are let down by society. Their relationship with the world is forever changed. They return home to find they no longer fit into their former communities. Their loved ones may be unable to cope with or support these returning veterans. The British government regularly turns its back on veterans, reneges on its covenant, on its promises and on its duty to men and women who have lost so much through serving their duty. Researching and writing this book has been an emotional roller-coaster. It is painful to see how our troops have been badly let down on so many levels. The pain, trauma and sense of betrayal are all tangible in the personal accounts of veterans battling PTSD. The subsequent disintegration of personal relationships is complex and at times happens around issues that cannot be controlled. The British government can control how it helps the men and women who have served their country.This book seeks to explain the challenges of PTSD to all who have not been there, who struggle to understand and seek to support those affected. We hope that this book has a wide and far reaching audience and inspires crucial changes that will make a positive difference in the lives of veterans and their loved ones.

This “layered, nuanced, and focused study” of Civil War era writings reveals a popular sense of patriotism and hope in the midst of loss (Journal of American History). The American Civil War is often seen as the first modern war, not least because of the immense suffering it inflicted. Yet unlike later conflicts, it did not produce an outpouring of disillusionment or cynicism in public or private discourse. In fact, most people portrayed the war in highly sentimental and patriotic terms. While scholars typically dismiss this everyday writing as simplistic or naïve, Frances M. Clarke argues that we need to reconsider the letters, diaries, songs, and journalism penned by Union soldiers and their caregivers to fully understand the war’s impact and meaning. In War Stories, Clarke revisits the most common stories that average Northerners told in hopes of redeeming their suffering and hardship—stories that enabled people to express their beliefs about religion, community, and personal character. From tales of Union soldiers who died heroically to stories of tireless volunteers who exemplified the Republic’s virtues, War Stories sheds new light on this transitional moment in the history of war, emotional culture, and American civic life.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder than can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event." This is the Wikipedia description for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anyone can look it up. Everyone knows that military personnel are likely to face difficult and challenging situations. You may think: 'Yes, I get that, God knows what these serving boys and girls have seen and been through.' You can try and imagine, but that is all you can do. I also did not understand, until I experienced first-hand the impact of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through the stories of six veterans, this book seeks to give insight into their broken hearts, bodies and minds- and the hell they experienced. This invisible hell of the traumatic sights, sounds, smells, screams, and pain cannot be forgotten and continues to haunt these veterans. Nothing can make these experiences go away - that is impossible. But beyond their harrowing experiences, many veterans are let down by society. Their relationship with the world is forever changed. They return home to find they no longer fit into their former communities. Their loved ones may be unable to cope with or support these returning veterans. The British government regularly turns its back on veterans, reneges on its covenant, on its promises and on its duty to men and women who have lost so much through serving their duty. Researching and writing this book has been an emotional roller-coaster. It is painful to see how our troops have been badly let down on so many levels. The pain, trauma and sense of betrayal are all tangible in the personal accounts of veterans battling Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . The subsequent disintegration of personal relationships is complex and at times happens around issues that cannot be controlled. The British government can control how it helps the men and women who have served their country. This book seeks to explain the challenges of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to all who have not been there, who struggle to understand and seek to support those affected. We hope that this book has a wide and far reaching audience and inspires crucial changes that will make a positive difference in the lives of veterans and their loved ones.