More panoramic in scope and more realistic in its details than Crane'sRed Badge of Courage, this is one of the first and best novels ever written about the American Civil War
Drawing on his own combat experience with the Union forces, John W. De Forest crafted a war novel like nothing before it in the annals of American literature. His first-hand knowledge of ""the wilderness of death"" made its way on to the pages of his riveting novel with devastating effect. Whether depicting the tedium before combat, the unspoken horror of battle, or the grisly butchery of the field hospital, De Forest broke new ground, anticipating the realistic war writings of Ernest Hemingway, Norman Mailer, and Tim O'Brien.
A commercial failure in its own day, De Forest's story was praised by Henry James and William Dean Howells, who, comparing it favorably toWar and Peace, acclaimed the book ""one of the best American novels ever written.""
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
By:
John W. De Forest Introduction by:
Gary Scharnhorst Imprint: Penguin Classics Country of Publication: Australia Dimensions:
Height: 196mm,
Width: 130mm,
Spine: 30mm
Weight: 397g ISBN:9780140437577 ISBN 10: 0140437576 Pages: 497 Publication Date:01 March 2000 Audience:
College/higher education
,
General/trade
,
Primary
,
ELT Advanced
Format:Other merchandise Publisher's Status: Active
