A Diary From Dixie by Mary Boykin Chesnut, Ben Ames Williams Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Diary From Dixie
Book Review: The southern homefront
Summary: 4 Stars
C-Span did a series called "American Writers" in 2001 and although I consider myself well read it was the first time I had ever heard of Mary Chesnut.
This story of the Civil War, told from the perspective of the civilians at home, was a real eye opener. Mary Chesnut, the wife of a Confederate general, was well off, but even Mary and the ladies in her circle couldn't get shoes to replace their worn ones and could only afford the outrageous prices for food because they had money. One can only imagine the suffering of those less fortunate. Life for civilians was severe and the news from the front, often heartbreaking, added to their woes. This is a unique first person account of the Civil War.
I remember reading that the author of "Gone With the Wind", Margaret Mitchell, did about five years of research before she actually started writing her book. I feel it is highly likely that she read Mary Chesnut's book as part of that research.
Book Review: incomplete version of famous diary
Summary: 1 Stars
(...)certainly I always thought "Diary from Dixie" was the real thing but I discovered while reading "Mary Chesnut's Civil War" (edited by C. Vann Woodward, Yale University 1981) that, in the first place, the material that is exerpted in "Diary from Dixie" was actually written by Mary Chesnut between 1881-1884, nearly 20 years after the Civil War ended. Secondly, "Diary from Dixie" (which was published 15 years after Chesnut died) was put together and edited by two other women who were under contract to their publishing company to produce a heavily abridged, selectively-edited volume of about 130,000 words in length (Chesnut's 1880's "Diary" is more than three times that in length). Woodward maintains that the editors were "concerned that Chesnut passages out of line with the current Southern version of the Confederate legend be deleted. Mrs. Witherspoon's death is mentioned, for example, but with no hint that her slaves had anything to do with it."Mary Chesnut is so interesting that it only makes sense to read her work as she intended it to be read and for that you need "Mary Chesnut's Civil War." Out-of-print now but also worth reading is "The Private Mary Chesnut: the Unpublished Civil War Diaries" (Oxford University 1984) which is the actual journal text that Chesnut wrote during the war (and on which she based her 1880's "Diary"). Note, however, that this book only covers the entries made during 1861 and 1865 (the original journals for 1862, 1863 and 1864 have not survived).
Book Review: the Civil War;s most celebrated journal
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a facsimile edition of the journal of Mary Chesnut, wife of James Chesnut, an aide to Jefferson Davis and a Brigadier-General in the Confederate army. Written 1860-65, illustrated. This is not just a 'home front' account, Mrs. Chesnut was privy to a lot of military information, and quotes from many letters sent to Confederate wives from their husbands. 424 pages.