I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on the Civil War, but periodically I am surprised by an event that I have not read about. This is the case with Timothy Smith’s The Real Horse Soldiers. The book is a great narrative and analysis of the Union raid led by Colonel Benjamin Grierson. Smith describes the strategic… Continue reading
My favorite Civil War author, Eric J. Wittenberg, has recently written a book on the Union mounted force’s delaying action on September 18, 1863 at Chickamauga in Holding the Line on the River of Death. Wittenberg is my favorite author because he details the actions of individual units, but also gives a great overview of… Continue reading
Unlike many books on explaining the exploits of fighting men, Lengel goes beyond the battlefield when looking at the men. He compassionately describes the struggles and trials of the men as they deal with the horrors they experienced in war.
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The Sorrows of Work is a short book that explains why so many of us are miserable at work. The book’s conclusions are a little depressing, but ring true.
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Hardy shines a much-needed light on the deeds of the Branch-Lane Brigade. The officers and men made their mistakes during the war, but in a number of battles their actions saved the Confederates from a crushing defeat.
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Murphy combines great storytelling with a detailed explanation of Nineteenth Century ocean travel. An excellent story of one of the many tragedies that befell transatlantic travelers.
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Cornwell is a master storyteller that is hard to beat. His plots flow easily from one event to the next. The writing is superb. The character development is excellent even with new characters being introduced with each book.
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I have read many accounts of the Battle of Antietam – most focus solely on either side or give a balanced view of the battle. Martin gives a balanced account of the battle, but he adds a new element by looking at Abraham Lincoln during the battle.
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Antietam (and almost every battle in the Civil War) has been analyzed and written about ad nauseam. The authors find another angle to look at the Union victory that led to the release of the Emancipation Proclamation. This angle is thought-provoking by looking at the costs of the battle not only on the combat troops that fought, but also on the civilians who were left to pick up the pieces of their shattered homes and lives.
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