Too Many Civil War Books?

TOO MANY CIVIL WAR BOOKS? Otto Eisenschiml is the present deluge of Civil War literature a blessing or an evil? Many a lover of history must be asking himself this question. The answer looks deceptively easy: Of good books there can never be too many, of bad books never too few. Unfortunately, this is only begging the question, for it leads inevitably to another: How good is good and how bad is bad? The two terms are relative; whether a pitcher is good or bad depends on the league in which he is pitching. Similarly, the proper adjective for books depends to a large extent on the category in which they belong. They, too, have their leagues, from bush to major, even though they are not generally recognized as such, and their dividing lines are not sharply defined. Broadly speaking, the bush league of books is that of anthologies; this is especially true of books on history. With a few exceptions they impart to the reader nothing that has not been printed before, nor do they pretend to. The advanced student who hopes to expand his knowledge will be disappointed in them, which is not saying that they cannot provide good reading; often they do, and may attract wide circles of readers. Lack of new material does not diminish their popularity ; on the contrary, it tips the scale in their favor, for originality is a liability, not an asset, as far as mass appeal is concerned. Only scholarly readers welcome the disclosure of new facts or fresh interpretations ; the mind of the average person shies away from them. A few years ago I was invited to make a Lincoln-day address in a town which prides itself on its high cultural level. I selected a theme, which, while not stereotyped as are the usual lectures for this occasion , was strictly non-controversial. When I had finished, the audience sat like wooden Indians; not a hand stirred. My impulse was to grab my hat and silently steal away, but I was so hemmed in that escape was a physical impossibility. I was casting about for a possible exit, Equally renowned as a scientist and historian, Dr. Eisenschiml is the author of such works as The Strange Case of Fitz John Porter and Why Was Lincoln Murdered? In this article the writer, a strong critic of historical reporting , takes a pointed look at present trends in Civil War writing. 250 when an elderly man approached me and held out his hand. "This was the best Lincoln talk I have ever listened to," he said. "Spare me the soothing syrup," I snapped back. "All I want is to get out." He shook his head reprovingly. "Let we tell you something. I have a five-year-old granddaughter, and for the last two years I have been telling her the story of Snow White until it came out of my ears. So the other day I offered to tell her the story of Cinderella. That will be fine,' she agreed. But I had not spoken for more than half a minute when she interrupted me: 'Grandad, I don't like this story. Please tell me Snow White again.' " I got the point and have never forgotten it. By telling people something they had neither expected nor heard before, I had bewildered them. From now on I shall tell my Lincoln-day audiences the story of the six little pigs he picked up on the wayside, and the like. And if I ever should write a book for the sole purpose of making money, I shall repeat all the shop-worn tales and anecdotes everyone has read or heard dozens of times. The successful sale of history books apparently is based on the principle of repetition. Tell the people something they already know, and they will love you for it; tell them somethingnew, andtheywill resentit,forto makeyourselflook superior is an unforgivable offense. In their simplest form Civil War anthologies can be assembled by any high school pupil of moderate intelligence. The sources from which to draw are nearly inexhaustible. To prepare an anthology, all one has to do is pick out, let us say, "The...