After reading the un-abridged I found the ABRIDGED version a sham and a waste of good paper. Let get political correct and cut out the parts that show the cruilty of the Fedreal troops and just show The Mean Nasty Bad Southerns People supposely were. Cut out the the letters that showed the love and respect that was shown to the slaves and cut out the parts of the Northern Troops raiding and pillaging people homes or setting the houseing on fire with both whites and blacks in them just because the blacks did not want to leave there masters. Cut out the letters of Mother and Childrens crying because they have no food due to the Federal Troops taking it right off their tables or out of ther mouths. Cut out the letters showing druken Federal Troops raping and murdering Southern Women. NOW YOU HAVE THE ABRIDGED VERSION TO SHOW what just a few people want to be shown. Just leave the book a lone and let the letters tell the truith of what happen those terrible days during the war.

I read the ABRIDGED and wish I could get my money back!!!!

Book is composed of actual letters from family members in Georgia during the Prewar, during actual war and after the Civil War.
You get an actual account on how life was day to day, with very enjoyable and easy to read wording. Much more accruate history in this book, than is currently being taught in our schools.

This book shows better than any other the disruptive effect of the Civil War on the lives of real Southern people. In 1,300 letters between many family members, this magnificant book chronicles the Jones family of Liberty County, Georgia from 1854 until the late 1860s. We see the family's lives from day to day as war clouds gather, the son becomes Mayor of Savannah, the army is raised, Sherman's army arrives and pillages the plantation every day for a month, the family becomes destitute refugees from the chaos of war, the slaves become free workers, etc. We see into the minds and hearts of this good family, experience their births and deaths, joys and sorrows and fears, at the time of the nation's greatest political crisis.