Review excerpts
"Their experiences are by turns humorous, ironic, and heartbreaking, as only true stories can be, and they remind us that the pages of history are populated by real people, with all of the frailties, failings, nobility, and heroism that we see around us today."
—Charles R. Bowery, Humanities and Social Sciences Online
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"The work provides another tile in the developing mosaic of Civil War social history."
—James Hedtke, Ph.D., Journal of Southern History
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"This unique book deserves a wide audience and will appeal to military historians generally, and students of the Civil War in particular."
— Fred L. Borch, The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, Charlottesville, Va.
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"Faces of the Confederacy is an indispensable new window on the Civil War and the society that fought it."
— John Daley, Civil War Book Review
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"It is a book that you just want to read one more story before you put it down, and then you want to read one more."
— Michael J. Winey, Civil War News
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"This exceptional companion edition to Coddington's 2004 book, "Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories," reconstructs the lives of 77 Confederate soldiers below the rank of colonel, through engaging narratives complemented by rare carte-de-visite (CDV) portrait photographs.'"
— C.D. Myers, McClatchy-Tribune News Service
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"Coddington's book reminds us that the face of war never really changes, and that conflict never comes at a convenient moment for anyone.'"
— Jack Trammell, Civil War Times Magazine
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"Coddington reveals the human face of a war fought by fathers, husbands, sons and brothers. Their faces provide a compelling and tangible link with some of the men who 'wore the gray.'"
— Richard W. Hatcher, Fort Sumter National Monument
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"Coddington's prose is as unpretentious as the faces he shares, yet authoritative. It resurrects details that broaden our understanding of those sad times and sheds valuable light on the shape of modern culture."
— Bill Hendrick, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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"These stories are not the often told ones of famous Confederate leaders like General Lee, Stonewall Jackson, or J.E.B. Stuart, but of enlisted men and lower ranking officers, whose life stories deserve to be heard by this generation of American history and Civil War readers."
— David Neville, Military Images Magazine
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"The overall presentation of this volume is first-rate. The full-page CDV images are crisp reproductions, and the full cloth binding and heavy, glossy paper make for a distinctly attractive and weighty volume. The book has the heft of a much larger tome. Faces of the Confederacy will appeal to serious photography enthusiasts and collectors, as well as those readers captivated by the personal stories of Civil War soldiers."
— Andrew Wagenhoffer, Civil War Books and Authors Blog
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"Coddington has hit upon a unique and fascinating niche in the seemingly endless march of Civil War books. This one is a sequel to his Faces of the Civil War (2004), which matched the images of ordinary Union privates, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains with brief memoirs of their war experiences. With Southern veterans the documentary trail is much harder to pick up, making the author's biographical vignettes all the more extraordinary. The earnestness, defiance, and desperation on the faces of these men resonates with a modern audience, once their stories are known."
— George Eberhart, Association of College & Research Libraries
"Coddington (columnist, Civil War News), described as a "visual journalist," has already published Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soliders and Their Stories. Now he presents an equally absorbing compilation of 77 images of common soldiers who posed for photographs to leave with loved ones as they themselves went to fight for the Confederacy. Each entry consists of a full-page photograph and a two-page biography, culled from considerable research by the author. These were generally ordinary men who, for reasons they considered sufficient, answered the call to arms in the South. Readers learn that some survived the war and went on to varied careers. Many did not. Libraries with significant Civil War collections will want this."
— Edwin B.Burgess, Library Journal.com
"Ronald S. Coddington has scored a masterpiece again. As a follow-up to his much applauded Faces of the Civil War featuring Union soldiers and sailors, he has authored a sequel. This time Confederates are center stage as they proudly pose for the all-important cartes de visite that are as treasured today by collectors and buffs as by their home folks and comrades of long ago. Complementing these are biographical profiles that inform but do not overwhelm, reminding us that each haunting face is a real person who lived, served and died many years ago." (From the back of the book jacket.)
— Edwin C. Bearss, National Park Service
"With his meticulous research and a journalist's eye for good stories, Ron Coddington has brought new life to Civil War photographic portraits of obscure and long-forgotten Confederates whose wartime experiences might otherwise have been lost to history. This is more than just a fine compilation of Civil War photographs." (From the back of the book jacket.)
— Bob Zeller, Center for Civil War Photography
"Ron Coddington has produced a fine new volume that will take its place beside William A. Albaugh's Confederate Faces and several other Confederate photographic histories. Faces of the Confederacy continues the tradition of publishing Confederate soldier portraits, but instead of the standard fare of somewhat small photographs and brief captions, he provides us with full page pictures and the thoroughly researched stories of each individual depicted, widening our understanding of these men far beyond the normal presentation. In the world of Civil War photography, it is rare to find something that is truly new, but this book fits that bill." (From the back of the book jacket.)
— Les Jensen, West Point Museum
"A charming book for enthusiasts, and a tribute to the excellent detective work of the author." (From the back of the book jacket.)
— Elizabeth D. Leonard, Colby College
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