Soldiers Blue and Gray

"This is a master story-teller's book-entertaining, absorbing, filled with anecdotes and humor. Robertson skillfully synthesizes the experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of both Union and Confederate soldiers, using parallel examples to show that soldier life, despite some differences, was basically the same on either side of the battle lines The expert will enjoy reexploring some familiar territory, and the uninitiated will find no better introduction to the subject."—Military History

"It is a remarkable tribute to Robertson's knowledge of the subject that in this, the most complete single volume on Civil War soldiers, he has used hundreds of letters and diaries-quoting soldiers on nearly every subject-without duplicating [Bell I.] Wiley's wonderful accounts."—Journal of Southern History

"Devoting chapters to such topics as enlisting, camp life, religion, and the trial of combat, Robertson constructs an engrossing study of young men at war. His soldiers blue and gray are far more alike than different, sharing a common background, religion, and set of experiences in camp, hospital, and battle."—Civil War