Reviewed by talismanbrett on
I will start by saying that Civil War, Historical Non-Fiction is not really "my thing", however, if it IS "your thing", then this book is 100 percent what you need to be reading. Daniel Cone cut no corners on his research and left no stone unturned when it came to amassing the information required to create a book as informative and factual as "Last to Join the Fight: The 66th Georgia Infantry".
The book follows the arc of the creation and eventual destruction (Sorry for spoiler warning, but The South lost the war) of the 66th Georgia infantry. Cone takes ample time to teach the reader about the highest ranking officers like Nisbet to the lowly privates and really delve into what made up the group. He includes several charts and tables that show the severe disparity of the regiment. but also throws in constant reminders of just how eclectic this company was.
The coolest thing I found was, being from Georgia myself, MANY of the physical destinations and battle sites were very familiar to me. It was an interesting experiment to cast one's mind back to the 1860's and think about how this area has changed so much over time. I found it haunting to try and connect with the ghosts of our past especially a group so intrinsically different. The names here are aplenty, but you can actually form some understanding of their reasons for war.
Overall, the book will inform you of the often overlooked 66th infantry and at least give you a open-eyed view of war life in the South during America's Civil War. I recommend for history buffs, civil war enthusiasts, and even, to some extent, genealogy tracers.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 2 September, 2021: Finished reading
- 2 September, 2021: Reviewed