Tusculum University is inviting the community to examine America following the Civil War through a summer book group on campus.
Organized by Tusculum’s Department of History, Museum Studies and Religion, the group will examine the book “Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee’s Army after Appomattox” by Caroline E. Janney in three sessions. They will be held on Thursdays at 6 p.m. on July 20, August 3 and August 17 in the Thomas J. Garland Library at Tusculum.
A department faculty member will facilitate each session, which will consist of open discussion among book group participants. Organizers will divide the book into three sections, and the group will delve into one of them in each session.
“We enjoy engaging with the community and look forward to hearing the group’s perspectives about this compelling book,” said Dr. Joel Van Amberg, the department’s chair and a professor of history at Tusculum. “This will be a fun and informative way to learn more about this period in American history from an impressive author and then hear the community’s take on her scholarship. We encourage the community to join us.”
The department has used the summer to provide thought-provoking and enlightening content for the community. For the last two years, the department has focused on presentations from Tusculum faculty members and other speakers. Dr. Van Amberg said the department decided this year to switch to a new format, which will focus more on group discussion while still examining subjects people enjoy.
Group participants do not have to read the whole book prior to the start of the first session, but they are welcome to choose that option. They will need to read the section of the book designated for each session prior to attending.
Janney is the John L. Nau III Professor of History and director of the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia.
“Ends of War” won the 2022 Richard Barksdale Harwell Award from the Atlanta Civil War Round Table as well as the 2022 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize. The book explores what follows Robert E. Lee’s April 1865 surrender to Ulysses S. Grant. She relies on a variety of sources to highlight a period of confusion and violence as rebel soldiers dispersed and federal troops sought to maintain order throughout the subdued South.
Janney recounts official proceedings and the dealings of military officials alongside the experience of common soldiers. She brings to life the heady first days of the postwar era while charting the birth of the Lost Cause narrative which supported continued rebellion during Reconstruction and beyond.
Participation in the sessions is free. In addition, the department will provide a limited number of free books to those who sign up for the group by 5 p.m. Friday, June 16. These participants should email Dr. Van Amberg at [email protected]. Anyone else who would like to participate in the group needs to notify Dr. Van Amberg via email by Friday, June 30. The book can be readily purchased online.
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.
