Reviews

The Calculus of Violence: How Americans Fought the Civil War by Aaron Sheehan-Dean

christopherwater's review against another edition

informative slow-paced

3.75

minibookworm's review against another edition

5.0

Really excellent exploration of violence during the Civil War. Sheehan-Dean is very thorough, discussing everything from types of warfare to various social groups affected by it. Because of this detailed coverage, The Calculus of Violence is a dense read and probably not something that most people could breeze through (It definitely took me a bit). However, I loved its unsanitized approach to the war. I especially appreciated its examination of racial violence that is often subordinated to narratives highlighting the plight of white soldiers.