I knew it would make a great stocking stuffer for my husband at Christmas, but of course I would read it myself before that. I found it in a used book sale a couple of months ago and snatched it up. I have wanted to read this book since Sam Watkins was so heavily quoted in Ken Burns Civil War documentary. I always looked upon officers as harmless personages'. It was they that did the shooting and killing, and if I could kill or wound a private why, my chances were so much the better. This new edition of a Civil War classic is bound to become the edition of choice for students, military buffs, and general readers alike. This edition of Company Aytch also contains six previously uncollected articles by Sam Watkins, plus other valuable supplementary materials, including a map and period illustrations, a glossary of technical and military terms, a chronology of events, a concise history of Watkins's regiment, a biographical directory of individuals mentioned in the narrative, and geographic and topical indexes. Parallels between this text and The Red Badge of Courage suggest that Stephen Crane was also among Private Watkins's readers. Originally published in 1881 as a series of articles in the Columbia, Tennessee, Herald, Sam Watkins's account has long been recognized by historians as one of the most lively and witty accounts of the war. Among the plethora of books about the Civil War Company Aytch stands out for its uniquely personal view of the events as related by a most engaging writer-a man with Twain-like talents who served as a foot soldier for four long years in the Confederate army.

Company aytch