Heroes and Cowards: The Social Face of War (NBER Series on Long-Term Factors in Economic Development) - Hardcover

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2009 "Heroes and Cowards is interesting to read... It is a work of military sociology written with one eye on the debate about the social costs of diversity... Ms. Costa and Mr. Kahn emphasize the advantages of trust and mutual sacrifice that come from social similarity. They understand full well the contemporary implications of their historical study. When we contemplate helping others, whether through volunteer organizations or welfare--state transfers, we are less likely to provide for--and more likely to abandon--those who are unlike ourselves."--David Courtwright, Wall Street Journal "This is brilliant social science, dealing with key themes by means of powerful methods used on a superb database. The authors are economic historians skilled in quantitative analysis who investigate social factors that caused Union soldiers to act as heroes or cowards during the Civil War."--Choice "In their new book Heroes and Cowards, economists Dora Costa and Matthew Kahn use the Civil War as their laboratory to study what men will do in the name of friendship. They find that men serving in companies with tight social connections--like shared birthplace and occupation--were more likely to stand and fight than those in less tight-knit companies, where desertion rates were up to four times higher."--Ray Fisman, Slate.com "Heroes and Cowards highlights the inherent tensions between the costs and benefits of community diversity, shedding light on how groups and societies behave and providing valuable lessons for the present day."--Spartacus Educational "Academics may want to include this volume in their undergraduate and graduate Civil War history reading list ... and the records and collection methods included in the appendix, as well as the chapter endnotes and extensive bibliography, document the research findings of the authors. Non-academics likewise will find a copious volume of unique anecdotal entries especially enlightening."--Arthur B. Fox, Blue & Gray Magazine "With a striking amount of data, Heroes and Cowards is one of the most impressive books this reviewer has seen in years... Carefully written, with sharp analysis and new avenues for research, Heroes and Cowards is a fresh and inspiring example of social history at its best."--Jerry Thompson, Journal of American History "This is simply the best study of the motivation to fight, demonstrating the benefits of long-term and deep engagement with a case and the advantages that accrue to the successful and creative combination of quantitative and historical methods."--Stathis N. Kalyvas, Peace Research "Costa and Kahn's approach ... should stimulate further research on the social history of the Civil War."--Jeffrey W. Mcclurken, Journal of Southern History

When are people willing to sacrifice for the common good? What are the benefits of friendship? How do communities deal with betrayal? And what are the costs and benefits of being in a diverse community? Using the life histories of more than forty thousand Civil War soldiers, Dora Costa and Matthew Kahn answer these questions and uncover the vivid stories, social influences, and crucial networks that influenced soldiers' lives both during and after the war. Drawing information from government documents, soldiers' journals, and one of the most extensive research projects about Union Army soldiers ever undertaken, Heroes and Cowards demonstrates the role that social capital plays in people's decisions. The makeup of various companies--whether soldiers were of the same ethnicity, age, and occupation--influenced whether soldiers remained loyal or whether they deserted. Costa and Kahn discuss how the soldiers benefited from friendships, what social factors allowed some to survive the POW camps while others died, and how punishments meted out for breaking codes of conduct affected men after the war. The book also examines the experience of African-American soldiers and makes important observations about how their comrades shaped their lives. Heroes and Cowards highlights the inherent tensions between the costs and benefits of community diversity, shedding light on how groups and societies behave and providing valuable lessons for the present day.