Great Lakes/Great Books DIscussion Group

Great Lakes/Great Books is a monthly discussion group of books that have a focus on the Great Lakes or on water in general. Works of fiction, nonfiction, and more are discussed both in-person and virtually. This month’s selection is This Wicked Rebellion: Wisconsin Civil War Soldiers Write Home edited by John Zimm.

About This Wicked Rebellion:

Over one hundred and fifty years after it began, the Civil War still fascinates us — the vast armies marching to war, iconic leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee, the drama of a nation divided. But the Civil War was also about individuals, the hundreds of thousands of ordinary men and boys who fought and died on either side and the families and friends left at home. This Wicked Rebellion tells this other side of the story. Drawing from over 11,000 letters in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Civil War collection, it gives a unique and intimate glimpse of the men and women who took part in the War for the Union. Follow Wisonsin soldiers as they sign up or get drafted, endure drill and picket duty, and get their first experience of battle. Join them as they fight desperation and fear, encounter the brutality of slavery, and struggle with the reasons for war. This Wicked Rebellion brings to life the heroism and heartache, mayhem and misery of the Civil War and the powerful role Wisconsin played in it.