These 120 stories by officers and privates delve into the playful side of Confederate service from enlisting, eating, and marching, to cooking, combat, and camp life. The soldiers look serious and stern, staring back at us from their formal portraits. In fact, they were young men with individual personalities filled with the exuberance of youth, married to an often fun loving attitude toward the tough military life in which they found themselves. Greg Coco hand-selected 120 stories by officers and privates that delve into the playful side of Confederate service, from enlisting, eating, and marching to cooking, combat, and camp life. Fun, easy to read, and informative. AUTHOR: Gregory Ashton Coco, born and raised in Louisiana, lived in the Gettysburg area for nearly 35 years. In 1972, after serving in the U.S. Army, he earned a degree in American History from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. While in the military, Greg spent a tour of duty in Vietnam as a prisoner of war military interrogator and infantry platoon radio operator with the 25th Infantry and received, among other awards, the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. During his years in Gettysburg, Greg worked as a National Park Service Ranger and a Licensed Battlefield Guide. He wrote sixteen books and a dozen scholarly articles on Gettysburg and the Civil War. His A Strange and Blighted Land. Gettysburg: The Aftermath of a Battle was voted #12 in the Top 50 Civil War Books ever written. 4 photos; 17 illustrations/sketches
Industry Reviews
"Greg Coco's books gave us a timeless study of the Battle of Gettysburg written by not only a gifted historian, but also a combat infantryman. If all historians are tourists in a foreign land, then Greg Coco has become our guide!"--Tony Nicastro, Licensed Battlefield Guide, Gettysburg National Military Park
"Greg Coco's classic works about the Battle of Gettysburg provide an incisive, unvarnished portrait of how the soldiers and the community where they fought fared after the largest battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere. Collectively, these books help transform our understanding of the true cost of this battle for all of those touched by it. They belong in the library of every student of the American Civil War."--Renae MacLachlan, Licensed Battlefield Guide, Gettysburg National Military Park
"The multifarious works of Greg Coco are singularly important in the literature surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg."--David Weaver, Licensed Battlefield Guide, Gettysburg National Military Park
"While preparing to become a licensed battlefield guide, I relied heavily on Greg Coco's books. Once I became a guide, I consulted these wonderful resources as I created tours and programs for Gettysburg visitors. Greg's works are comprehensive and well-written. All are important in subject matter, though my personal favorite is A Strange and Blighted Land: The Aftermath of a Battle. Every title touches heavily on the battle's human aspects, which make them very readable and relatable. I recommend them to visitors at every opportunity."--Sue Boardman, Licensed Battlefield Guide, Gettysburg National Military Park