Review of Blood Summer 1862

[RAJ KUMAR SINGH 3]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Blood Summer 1862" by Robert Hauser.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The novel “Blood Summer 1862” by Robert Hauser recounts the dynamics of one of the most famous American Civil War years in a contextually rich and vivid manner. Hauser’s historical research and sensational style make it possible to explore the events taking place in 1862, mingling with military, political, and human aspects that had comprised the war tale. Apparently, such aspects of the second year of the conflict as stern fighting, strategies, and political changes, which were described by Hauser, can be mentioned among the ideas. His narrative on the Battle of Antietam is however quite interesting as it describes the gall of war. Adding as many details as possible , Hauser provides the readers with the sense of the live historical events and bloodbath, which helps to make the actual historical account more vivid and easier to memorize. As it has been mentioned, one of the strong sides of the book is that the author tries to give the historical character’ personality. All the characters such as Abraham Lincoln, Robert E Lee and George McClellan are illustrated very realistically with emphasis on their rationale for their actions, strengths, and limitations. From the events described by Hauser it is not only the facts that are presented, but an attempt is made to analyze why persons behaved in a specific manner during the war. Still, the story “Blood Summer 1862” also reflects on other aspects of the society and politics of the given period. Specific topics that were covered by Hauser include impact of war on the innocent civilians, shifting trends as touching on slavery and political shifts. It also offers a wider perspective when dealing with the period in question and as such paints a better and more realistic picture. The book has its conveniences and one of them is that it does not represent any prejudice. The approach of presenting the Union and the Confederate forces’ positions gives the reader a balanced perspective which was essential given that the writer Hauser tends to side with the Union. He is educating and entertaining at the same time, which allows a reader to grasp the concepts of warfare tactics and political occurrences. Thus, “Blood Summer 1862” can be to some extent considered as the outstanding work of historical fiction, which offers people the rather broad and versatile view on the events of the American Civil War.

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Blood Summer 1862
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