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For Collectors Only EDITED BY RALPH G. NEWMAN 18 East Chestnut Street Chicago 11, Illinois CIVIL WAR FICTION publication of mac KiNLAY kantor's Andersonvtlle and the tremendous interest shown in the novel as weU as the controversy caused by its publication , has focused attention on the fiction of the Civil War. Collectors who may have overlooked it are now seeking first editions of the same author's Long Remember. They are also seeking first editions of the other great Civil War novels and rare book dealers are being canvassed for copies of Margaret MitcheU's Gone with the Wind, Clifford Dowde/s Bugles Blow No More and the inevitable The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. This causes the conductor of this column and others who are "collection -minded" to speculate as to what the great Civil War novels might be. It seems logical to devote this column to the subject since our three previous issues have been devoted to the non-fiction that might be considered for "A Union Book Shelf." Three years ago John Cook Wyllie, Curator of Rare Books in the Alderman Library of the University of Virginia, set out to discover what the six "best" Civil War novels might be. I don't recaU what his final list looked like, but I remember my choices, which I believe I still uphold and herewith present for your comment: Benet, Stephen Vincent (1898-1943), John Brown's Body. [Garden City, 1928.] (If this title does not qualify as a novel I would substitute the foUowing) Boyd, James (1888-1944), Marching On. New York, 1927. Crane, Stephen (1871-1900), The Red Badge of Courage. New York, 1895. 415 416RALPH G. NEWMAN De Forest, John William (1826-1906), Miss RaveneVs Conversion from Secession to Loyalty. New York, 1867. Dowdey, Clifford (1904- ), Bugles Blow No More. Boston, [1937]. Mitchell, Margaret (1900-1949), Gone With the Wind. New York, 1936. Scott, Evelyn [D.], (1893- ), The Wave. New York, [1929]. I hope the readers of Civil War History wül submit their lists of six best Civil War novels. If sufficient replies are received we will devote one of our future columns to an analysis of the collective comment on the subject. At the end of diis column I am submitting a list of some of the outstanding Civil War novels from 1864 to 1955. Many of your favorites will be missing, but attach no significance to this omission. I am merely offering my own "working" list for whatever help it may render to you. Additional tides will be welcomed and included in our final check-list. You will note only durée titles from the Civil War period or immediately thereafter. One, Miss RaveneTs Conversion . . . , I believe to be die first great novel of the period. In recent years publication of the same author's Civil War and Reconstruction experiences (A Volunteer's Adventures: A Union Captains Record of the Civil War, 1946 and A Union Officer in the Reconstruction, 1948) has directed die attention of the Civil War enthusiast back to his early novel. John Esten Cooke and John Townsend Trowbridge appear on the list for sentimental as well as literary reasons. Cudjo's Cave and Mohun started many a youngster reading Civil War literature. Both authors knew the war from personal participation as soldier and journalist. Of the modern books, I believe the most neglected is Evelyn Scott's The Wave. This great novel which makes die war itself the hero, was completely overlooked for many years, but now is slowly gaining weU-merited recognition. I had a copy of diis book in which the author wrote the following inscription, "This was the first of a series of best-seUing novels on the subject—by other people." Here for better or worse is my "Civil War shelf"; I hope it will be of some help to you in selecting your favorite novels dealing with the War between the States. G?1 be looking for your lists and will be very anxious to learn of other obscure but deserving titles to which the readers of CtütZ War History will direct our attention. Allen, [William] Hervey (1889-1949), Action...

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