Crittenden: A Kentucky Story of Love and War by John Fox Jr. (1910)

Without question, the most racially charged jingoistic book I have ever read. Fox really bought the American Exceptionalism thing and was peddling it with every bone in his body. In fact every aspect of this writing is over the top. The love of country, the purity of the American Soldier, the depth of love, the height of compassion, etc. Like The Long Rifle by White it seems to have been written in a style from about a century earlier. White, however, does not devolve into the preachy. 

Its an OK quick read and fits well within the "where does America come from" theme that I have been on but is patently out of fashion in its portrayal of all things. It had to offensive, even for its time?

Fox was a Rough Rider in the Spanish American war, was a correspondent, and was from Kentucky so this is him speaking. Clearly proud of his service in the war he takes the whole thing a little too far at times. The war scenes are, however, well rendered and he holds no punches, making several references to the amount and severity of the various illness available to one on campaign in the tropics. He also portrays battlefield horror in fairness and in detail (I have no experience) and so was likely changed by it.
Military service as pure and redemptive; in modern parlance: as a team building exercise, that leaves one whole and completely in love with ones fellow man and his Country. There are however lesser beings who should be cared for and snickered at for they are simple.

He speaks of this war as a turning point (which lets face it most people don't even remember it ever happened) in which America becomes a world power. That is interesting because most of us think of WWII as having that effect. I guess the last war we fight is a new turning point. And any war I fought in was a big deal; it has to be...

Fox presents this war as the first unifying event after the Civil War and goes on at great length about how the North and South came together to form this irresistible force.

Highly classicist he outlines the "blood line" nepotism that permeated every aspect of Southern life. These guys speak about the every-man but revere the blue blood.

A nice 1910 printing

It has the very raged edges by design on very thick paper which become more endearing the more you fiddle with them.

The Coon rendering is magnificent.