This is a praise-worthy and insightful examination of the transformation of social welfare for Civil War Veterans into a uniquely materialistic legislation that benefited women and children. Furthermore, Skocpol explores American resistance to other forms of social welfare, such as those contemporaneously popular in Europe, that benefited disabled workers and the elderly.
At times this book can make for dull reading, and it is perhaps also longer than necessary. However, it remains an important work of social history.