Memory and the American Civil War

American historian and Harvard University president Drew Gilpin Faust's new book "This Republic of Sufferring: Death and the American Civil War" examines the magnitude of loss and memorialization caused by the massive deaths during and after the American Civil War. New York Times book reviewer Geoffrey C. Ward has presented an interesting preview of her book in his review in the NY Times. Also, you can read an excerpt in the New York Times. Gilpin Faust was interviewed by NPR recently, where she talked about nineteenth century views on death, the significance of burials during the causalties, and the challenges of identifying the bodies of soldiers in the bloodiest war in American history.