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Title: Is this book bogus?
Review: This book recieved initial kudos, including fascinating article in the New York Times. I bought it for my father, a civil war buff, for Christmas. He believes that the 'diary' of this Civil War Private has been fabricated. He notes that the author found his way to the front lines of every important battle of the war and worked on water colors as cannon sounded around him. He managed to meet every important General in the war. He carried drawings and paints through a war when most soldiers couldn't carry basic provisions. He also used language inappropriate to the age, like worrying about 'a virus'. My father notes that he had not heard the word 'virus' as a child in 1930. We would be interested in hearing the opinions of Civil War scholars as to the authenticity of this work.
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