Offers an engaging account of the experiences of Jewish soldiers in the Union Army during the Civil War
What was it like to be a Jew in Lincoln’s armies? The Union army was as diverse as the embattled nation it sought to preserve, a unique mixture of ethnicities, religions, and identities. Almost one Union soldier in four was born abroad, and natives and newcomers fought side-by-side, sometimes uneasily. Yet though scholars have parsed the trials and triumphs of Irish, Germans, African Americans, and others in the Union ranks, they have remained largely silent on the everyday experiences of the largest non-Christian minority to have served.
In ways visible and invisible to their fellow recruits and conscripts, the experience of Jews was distinct from that of other soldiers who served in Lincoln’s armies. Adam D. Mendelsohn draws for the first time upon the vast database of verified listings of Jewish soldiers serving in the Civil War collected by The Shapell Roster, as well as letters, diaries, and newspapers, to examine the collective experience of Jewish soldiers and to recover their voices and stories. The volume examines when and why they decided to enlist, explores their encounters with fellow soldiers, and describes their efforts to create community within the ranks. This monumental undertaking rewrites much of what we think we know about Jewish soldiers during the Civil War.

"Compelling and complex. The author examines the overall Jewish experience, including why they enlisted and how they sought community during the war. Highly recommended as a work that will make a fine addition to a comprehensive Civil War collection." - Library Journal

"Jewish Soldiers in the Civil War may be Mendelsohn’s masterpiece on Jewish soldiers in the War Between the States, or perhaps, one might say 'to date' — the author is still writing. But this finely detailed, handsomely illustrated work will be a hard history to beat... insightful and well-written. General readers of history will find it informative and readable. Civil War history buffs will love it." - The Detroit Jewish News

"Readers will engage all sorts of particular stories, tracing the experiences of individuals or highlighting significant themes, often set aside with accompanying illustrations." - Keith Harris History

"[T]here’s good stuff here, and the depth of [Mendelsohn’s] knowledge and his intellectual integrity cannot be questioned." - The Dayton Jewish Observer

"[T]his book makes an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the role that Jews played in mid-nineteenth century America and the important social history of their involvement in the Civil War. A forthcoming volume on Jewish soldiers in the Confederate army is much anticipated." - Journal of Military History

"More than answering just the question of how many [Jewish soldiers fought in the Civil War], Mendelsohn probes deeper to explore the personalities of Jewish recruits, both native-born and immigrant... [his] prose [is] both empathetic and compelling... NYU Press merits acknowledgement for the high production quality in its layout and design. They make Jewish Soldiers in the Civil War both pleasing to the eye and informative for the reader." - The Civil War Monitor

"Any young historian eager to learn from the best in the business will gain from Mendelsohn’s description of research sources and methods." - NYMAS Review

"Until his book, there has been no scholarly work on Jewish Union soldiers… Adam Mendelsohn has now brought Jewish Union soldiers back to life. Jewish Soldiers in the Civil War is essential reading for anyone interested in American Jewish history." - Southern Jewish History