Civil War Tails: 8,000 Cat Soldiers Tell the Panoramic Story

by Rebecca Brown, Ruth A. Brown

Overview

A quirky framing of the Civil War grounded in solid scholarship. The Brown twin sisters have built historical dioramas to tell the story of the Civil War with an unexpected twist. The thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers depicted in the battles and scenes  are cats! Little Round Top, Pickett’s Charge, Andersonville come to life in this fun, fanciful, solidly researched and highly visual representation of the War. The cats pull you in, and soon you’ll find you’re immersed and engaged, learning details and gaining a new and different perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811719858
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	06/01/2018
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Twin sisters Ruth and Rebecca Brown have merged their interest in Civil War military history with their love for molding miniature soldiers in clay. On display at their unusual museum in Gettysburg, PA are dozens of historical dioramas and the 8,000 Union and Confederate CAT SOLDIERS they’ve created over the past twenty years. Their work and the museum, Civil War Tails at the Homestead Diorama Museum, have been featured in many articles, interviews, and online videos including in the Washington Post and on National Public Radio and CNN. Ruth works as an attorney and writes fantasy novels when she’s not making trees or Yankees for the dioramas. Rebecca gives tours of the museum and in her spare time, when not making more model cats, enjoys working on WWII and tall ship model kits, writing historical fiction, and watching old westerns. They live in Gettysburg, PA.

Editorial Reviews

The research is thorough ... the novelty of cats as models for soldiers engages the Civil War novice and buff alike ... and the three-dimensional battle action design brings pivotal historic clashes—large and small—to life in a captivating, distinctive way.

Renae MacLachlan

The Civil War Tails Diorama Museum is a pleasure to visit for both history aficionados and casual visitors alike. The Brown sisters have dedicated countless hours to historical research in order to meticulously re-create pivotal events in the American Civil War. Only upon close examination does the visitor realize the soldiers in the dioramas are cats. A novel museum for our age, and so well done.

Joseph Miechle

With aplomb, whimsy, and historical accuracy, Civil War Tails museum tells the stories of Civil War battles in perhaps the most unique way of any of our nation’s battle museums. It’s accessible for history fans, general tourists, and those with a sense of feline fun. Yes, the soldiers in each painstakingly crafted diorama are soldier cats. This book tells that story, of both the museum and the battles, with the same amount of history and fun, and helps you appreciate both the heritage and heroism of the time and the unique cat way the museum approaches the topic for people of all ages.

Jeff Peterman

The ladies of Civil War Tails have done a great service to those of us who love the quirky, whimsical, and eccentric—and who doesn't? What has impressed me the most is the attention to detail and accuracy while at the same time being fun. Everyone asks how to get young people interested in history. To me, Civil War Tails is a far better answer than more video games.

Joe Mieczkowski

As a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg, I was impressed by the amount of detail and research that the owners of Civil War Tails Museum put into the creation of their dioramas. It is clear that they have studied the battle intensively and have used that knowledge in creating and enhancing the historical realism of their dioramas. Their museum is an excellent venue for people who might not normally be interested in the battle.

John Baniszewski