Never Were Men So Brave
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REVIEW BY DEE ANN GRAND
Biting accounts of Civil War battles, told from the perspectives of brave Irish soldiers, paint a colorful portrait of invincible Irish immigrants in Never Were Men So Brave. The book describes the courage and sacrifices of these men for their new country as well as the incredible hardships they had undergone in Ireland. Their families had endured great civil unrest under English rule in the 1800s. The potato famine of the 1840s eventually forced many of them to flee their homeland in search of work and money to send back to their loved ones. One man who made his way from Ireland to America was Thomas Francis Meagher, who had been a leader of the 1848 rebellion against the English. He skillfully organized a group of Irish immigrants who would fight valiantly for the Union side in the Civil War. In the early days of the War, the Irish Brigade saw 535 men from its ranks killed and wounded. But as the Civil War dragged on, the Irish Brigade earned a reputation as brave, reliable men who remained strong and united. Susan Provost Beller skillfully details the human suffering, endless sacrifices, and valor of the Irish Brigade. Her technique of interweaving historic facts with compelling individuals' stories, black-and-white photographs, and wartime sketches helps young readers experience both the anxiety of battle and the strength of the Irish spirit. She makes Never Were Men So Brave much more than a retelling of a piece of Civil War history. So why did the Irish Brigade fight so hard and sacrifice so much for their newly adopted land? Beller's narrative suggests that it wasn't just their common bond of being immigrants. And it wasn't due solely to their fearless fighting spirit nor their deep yearning for liberty. Seemingly, it was their awareness that somewhere along the way they had become . . . Americans. Dee Ann Grand has developed fiction and nonfiction books for young readers for several years.
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