The Civil Wars of Julia Ward Howe by Elaine Show, (2016) is a biography of a woman whose name you probably recall hearing but just aren’t sure why. Then I say, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and you may recall that her poem became the lyrics of this very American song. It nearly became our NATIONAL ANTHEM, but in part because America IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION, the Star-Spangled Banner was chosen instead. Plus I kind of am glad that the war-hawk anthem did not succeed in the ennoblement of war although there have been some necessary wars (the Civil War, WWII) and some of the people fighting in them were surely noble, I do not think war itself can ever be noble.
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