Irish American Civil War Songs

"""Bateson has assembled roughly 150 songs about the Irish experience during the Civil War . . . . [She] contends that scholars have mistakenly argued that military participation transformed Irish nationals into loyal Americans. In fact, she insists, these lyrics instead reveal that 'the Irish had become American by the time the war started.'. . . Irish American Civil War Songs makes a valuable contribution to the literature, examining lyrics written by and about Irish Civil War soldiers.""--Journal of Southern History ""Bateson's book is an engaging and highly original study of Irish American Civil War songs, an overlooked aspect of Civil War cultural history. Bateson skillfully identifies critical transnational links between Ireland and the United States relating to individual and national identities, cultural heritages, and wartime experiences. This book is a brilliant contribution to the field that places Civil War-era history in a global perspective.""--Amanda Brickell Bellows, author of American Slavery and Russian Serfdom in the Post-Emancipation Imagination ""The Irish experience was central to the Civil War's popular culture and memory. How delightful, then, to have this engaging study of wartime songs by and about the Irish. Bateson's probing analysis unlocks an amazing array of meanings and contexts for these songs, making this an essential work for anyone interested in the Civil War and the Irish American experience.""--Christian McWhirter, author of Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War ""This fine book recounts how 'the fighting Irish' consolidated their identity as Americans during the Civil War, not only through their efforts on the battlefield but also through their passion for music. Deeply researched, highly original, and consistently insightful, it is required reading for anyone interested in the domestic and transnational impact of America's most enduring conflict.""--Robert J. Cook, author of Civil War Memories: Contesting the Past in the United States since 1865"