Review: Walt Whitman in Washington, D.C. by Garrett Peck

Title: Walt Whitman in Washington, D.C.
Author: Garrett Peck
Format: Paperback
Publisher: History Press
Publish Date: March 23, 2015
Source: I received a copy from the publisher.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Walt Whitman was already famous for Leaves of Grass when he journeyed to the nation's capital at the height of the Civil War to find his brother George, a Union officer wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Whitman eventually served as a volunteer "hospital missionary," making more than six hundred hospital visits and serving over eighty thousand sick and wounded soldiers in the next three years. With the 1865 publication of Drum-Taps, Whitman became poet laureate of the Civil War, aligning his legacy with that of Abraham Lincoln. He remained in Washington until 1873 as a federal clerk, engaging in a dazzling literary circle and fostering his longest romantic relationship, with Peter Doyle. Author Garrett Peck details the definitive account of Walt Whitman's decade in the nation's capital."

My Two Cents:

"Walt Whitman in Washington, D.C." is a nonfiction history of all of the time that the poet Walt Whitman spent in Washington, D.C. I was interested in reading this book because of the larger-than-life personality of Whitman and also the local connection. Living in this area, I love reading some of the lesser known stories of things that have happened in this area. This is a well put together history that will be enjoyed by my fellow history lovers.

I didn't realize how much time Walt Whitman had spent in the city. Many of his years spent here were spent caring for soldiers during the Civil War. He was truly passionate about the need to take care of soldiers as they were fighting the war. The Civil War greatly affected Washington, D.C. as it was the site for field hospitals and many activities to cater to soldiers. I really thought the author did a good job of adding a lot of historical detail in order to pull readers in.

Not much has been written about Whitman and Washington, D.C. so this book was very eye-opening to me. It's obvious how much research the author must've done in order to write this book. I would really like to read more by this author in the future! Overall, this was a great look at a sliver of history.