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I love sharing the knowledge I’ve gained over the years from reading, and reading about, top Civil War books.  I’ve also always found the list format to be an easy way for readers to take in some of this knowledge.  With these things in mind, we will be doing a series of lists for major battles during the Civil War here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  This post is one in a series of Top 10 Gettysburg Books blog entries by a group of Civil War bloggers.

I want to add a little disclaimer before I start.  This list is the educated opinion of Brett Schulte alone, and in no way should it be construed as the final word on the subject.  If you believe this list is totally wrong or if you believe I’m an idiot for forgetting to add this or that book, let me know!  I hope new readers can go to this page in the future and by reading my Top 10 Civil War Books on the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg list, those of the other Civil War bloggers in this event, AND the comments will be able to get a good idea of what types of books on Gettysburg might be for them.

Top 10 Civil War Books on the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg

1. The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command by Edwin B. Coddington

Despite Gettysburg Campaign studies in recent years from Stephen Sears and Noah Andre Trudeau, I still think the very best look at the Gettysburg Campaign is Edwin B. Coddington’s classic The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command.   Some have criticized Coddington for his tendency to favor the Federals and to denigrate Confederate First Corps commander James Longstreet, but his overall look at Gettysburg has not yet been eclipsed.

2. John Bachelder Papers (3 Volumes + 7 Maps) by John B. Bachelder

John Bachelder, an artist at the time of the battle, became obsessed with writing a history of Gettysburg.  He corresponded with thousands of veterans of the fight, and these collected writings form the three volume Bachelder papers.  Morningside has put together a fine version of this collection, which is readily available to the public for the first time.

3. Gettysburg—The Second Day by Harry W. Pfanz

Harry Pfanz has also written books on the first day’s fighting and that which occurred on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill on July 1-3.  I have selected his book on the July 2 struggle from Round Top to Cemetery Ridge as the best of his detailed tactical studies of the battle of Gettysburg.  All of these books are loaded with detailed maps and tactical discussions.  Curiously, Pfanz never did day three, though there may be a good reason for this.  For Day 3, you might wish to check out Jeffry Wert’s book Gettysburg, Day Three.

4. Regimental Strengths and Losses at Gettysburg by John W. Busey and David G. Martin

This is absolutely the most detailed order of battle study I’ve ever seen.  Busey and Martin break down each army and come up with exact numbers for each and every unit in the Army of the Potomac and Army of Northern Virginia.  Using known numbers of regiments in each corps, they came up with plausible numbers for those regiments for which exact Present for Duty numbers were not known.  The result is a wargamer’s and researcher’s dream and an indispensable reference work on the battle.

5. Pickett’s Charge–The Last Attack at Gettysburg by Earl J. Hess

Hess’ book is a detailed tactical look at, and to me the best book on Pickett’s Charge, topping George Stewart’s classic look at the July 3 fight for the Union center.  Hess gives the point of view of both sides, moving back and forth and producing a wonderfully researched look at this climactic moment of the most famous battle of the war.

6. Retreat from Gettysburg: Lee, Logistics, and the Pennsylvania Campaign by Kent Masterson Brown

Amazingly, Brown’s book, first published in 2005, was the first book-length account of the retreat from Gettysburg.  I say amazingly given the extreme saturation of the market with regards to Gettysburg books.  As the subtitle mentions, Brown looks at the retreat with a great deal of time and energy spent on logistics.  He believes Lee did not necessarily need a battle to happen to make the campaign a success.  Instead, says Brown, the Southern commander simply wanted to live off of Northern land for awhile to give Virginia a break.  Brown’s book has a decidedly Confederate focus.  For a detailed and balanced look at the fighting during the retreat, I recommend One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863.

7. Gettysburg: A Journey in Time by William A. Frassanito

Longtime readers of Civil War books will recognize the name of William A. Frassanito.  The author is famous for his books on Civil War photography.  Frassanito takes famous photographs of Civil War battles (Antietam, Gettysburg, the Overland Campaign) and attempts to take a modern day photograph from the same spot and in the same direction.  Frassanito’s detective work has led to many interesting discoveries about the photographs taken at Gettysburg shortly of the battle.  Perhaps his most famous discovery is that of the sharpshooter who wasn’t in the Devil’s Den area.  I highly recommend all of Frassanito’s books to anyone who is unfamiliar with this unique way to (literally) look at history.

8. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

I debated on whether or not to include The Killer Angels because (gasp!) I haven’t actually read the book.  I am a fan of fiction, and I’m a student of the Civil War, but I have never been interested in the two when combined.  With that said, I felt I needed to include this one simply because of the amazing popularity and almost universal acclaim it has received, especially in the years after the movie Gettysburg, based on the novel, was released in 1993.

9. Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg by Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi

Wittenberg and Petruzzi have written what I believe to be the best book yet on Stuart’s adventures in Pennsylvania.  The authors and fellow bloggers tapped a large number of previously unused primary sources for the book.  The result is a detailed look at Stuart’s Ride which does not get caught up in the blame game so prevalent in secondary sources.  It also covers in great tactical detail the cavalry engagements which resulted from the ride.  If you can only afford one book on the subject, this one is it.

10. Gettysburg July 1 by David Martin

I went back and forth on whether to include this title in my Top 10 Gettysburg Books list, but in the end the positives outweighed the negatives.  Martin’s book to me is a better representation of the July 1 fighting at Gettysburg than Harry Pfanz’ similarly titled book.  I wanted to include a book on the first day’s fighting, so this by default was it.  Martin’s book, especially the first edition, suffered from numerous typos and errors of fact, so much so that the book has been panned in many circles.  Get the latest edition of the book that you can (the Amazon link above leads to the paperback version), and you will not be disappointed with this one.

I cannot end a discussion of the Top 10 Civil War Books on the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg without mentioning Gettysburg Magazine, the only magazine I am aware of which focuses solely on one campaign.  If you are deeply interested in the Gettysburg Campaign, I highly recommend you subscribe to Gettysburg Magazine.  I finally did so last year after resisting for far too long, and I haven’t regretted it.

As I mentioned earlier in this blog entry, I am not the only person giving my list of the Top 10 Gettysburg books.  Check the space below and the permanent Top 10 Gettysburg Books page I’ve set up to see what books other Civil War bloggers chose and how those lists compare to mine.  I also hope to have a combined list very soon which will rank the books on a ten points for a first place vote to one point for a 10^th place vote basis.

Links to Other Top 10 Gettysburg Books Lists

• Ethan Rafuse of Civil Warriors: Live as of June 30, 2009!
• Mark Grimsley of Civil Warriors: Live as of July 1, 2009!
• Eric Wittenberg of Rantings of a Civil War Historian: Live as of July 1, 2009!
• Drew Wagenhoffer of Civil War Books and Authors: Live as of July 1, 2009!
• John Hoptak of The 48th Pennsylvania Infantry/Civil War Musings: Live as of July 1, 2009
• Harry Smeltzer of Bull Runnings: Live as of July 2, 2009!
• Craig Swain of To the Sound of the Guns: Live as of July 2, 2009!
• Nick Kurtz of Battlefield Wanderings: Live as of July 2, 2009!
• Chris Wehner of Blog 4 History: Live as of July 2, 2009!
• Elektratig’s The Road to the Road to Gettysburg: Top 10 Books on the Period Leading to War

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Check out Brett’s Civil War Books!

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It’s July, and that means it’s time for the 78th edition of the long running History Carnival here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!  We move from one Brett to another this month.

Historians’ Methodology and Academic History

We start this month’s carnival at Crooked Timber, where Michele Lamont discusses what constitutes quality among historians and how to recognize it.  Tenured Radical Claire Potter  takes exception to a recent New York Times article decrying the decline of “traditional” history classes on college campuses.  Historian Rachel Leow guides researchers on how to get the most out of newspapers as sources at A Historian’s Craft.

Interesting Individuals

Romeo Vitelli of Providentia discusses the strange and gruesome circumstances surrounding Jean Lanfray’s successful attempts to kill his wife and daughters. Despite heavy drinking throughout the day by Lanfray, the “Green Fairy” was singled out as the sole cause.  Elizabeth Kerri Mahon explains how “Scandalous Woman” Lizzie Siddal, Victorian supermodel, found that she couldn’t live with or without the love of her life Dante Gabriel Rossetti.  The lifelong friendship of deaf/blind Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan Macy is examined by Kim Nielsen at her eponymous blog.  She finds that contrary to what one would think, Macy relied more on Keller than the deaf/blind woman relied on Macy.

Military Individuals

The “Good Death” of Captain Charles W. Billings, Co. C., 20th Maine Volunteers, at Gettysburg in July, 1863 is examined in a four part blog series by David S. Heald at My Morbid Obsession.  Billings’ wife Ellen suffered much tragedy in her life, missing seeing her husband alive one last time by mere hours, and living long enough to bury all three of the couples’ children.  Meanwhile, at Soldier’s Mail: Letters Home 1916-1918, Sergeant Sam Avery of the 26^th “Yankee” Infantry Division in the A.E.F. writes home to his sister “Em” about the new men coming to relieve his outfit in France in June 1918.

Military History

Scott Manning produces sobering statistics regarding the Nazi Body Count in Europe at Digital Survivors.  Manning breaks down the deaths by country and by what groups of people were killed.  Former Civil War book publisher David Woodbury criticizes a recent Wall Street Journal article on “Seven Civil War Stories You Didn’t Learn in High School” and offers up his own, more interesting anecdotes from the war.  Civil War cavalry expert and prolific author Eric Wittenberg examines exactly which cavalry units were with Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia at Gettysburg and how Lee utilized what was available to him in the absence of J.E.B. Stuart and several of the best cavalry brigades in the army.  Author Bob Thompson dissects the confused and confusing command structure of the Army of the Potomac…and how it led to the Union disaster at Cold Harbor.  He believes George Meade and Ulysses S. Grant should shoulder the lion’s share of the blame.  Brett Holman remarks on the possible effects and use of gas attacks on the British and by the British in World War 2 at Airminded.  British worries about desperate Nazi gas attacks turned out to be unfounded.

European History

Judith Weingarten tells the interesting tale of Lorenzo De’ Medici, Louis XI of France, and St. Zenobius’ magic ring at Zenobia: Empress of the East.  Philip Wilkinson of English Buildings describes the painting of St. Christopher, “Christ’s Strongman”, in the church of St Botolph’s, in Slapton, Northamptonshire.  The painting of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, is lined up facing the door to the church, and is the first thing a traveler sees upon entering.  Roy Booth at Early Modern Whale explores an early treatise on bee-keeping, where one would do well to remain sober and chaste while killing all of your bees before collecting the honey!

Miscellaneous: Reviews, Questions, and Pictures

Natalie Bennett reviews 428AD: An Ordinary Year At The End of the Roman Empire at Philobiblon.  Penny L. Richards has been investigating the use of wheelchairs at the Bronx Zoo in the 191os and wonders whether they were used for luxury or necessity at Disability Studies, Temple U.  If you have any information on this topic, let her know!  Last but not least, Tony L. Alexander gives readers a pictorial look at Nara, one of the ancient capitals of Japan at The Soul of Japan.

As for the 78th History Carnival, that’s all folks!  The next edition of the History Carnival should appear August 1 at History Today News.  Keep reading and keep blogging!

*****

Still here?  You might want to look over the Top 10 Gettysburg Books Civil War bloggers series, starting today and running through July 3 during the anniversary of the Civil War’s most famous battle.

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

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I’d like to announce an eventful first four days of July here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  Events include the 78th History Carnival, a combined effort by Civil War bloggers to present a definitive Top 10 Civil War books on the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg, and a free book giveaway on the Fourth of July to celebrate America’s Independence.  The following is a run-down of events in list format:

• July 1, 2009: The 78th Edition of the History Carnival goes live at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.
• July 1, 2009: The Top 10 Gettysburg Books event officially gets underway with the Top 10 Gettysburg Books as chosen by Eric Wittenberg of Rantings of a Civil War Historian, Drew Wagenhoffer of Civil War Books and Authors, and John Hoptak of The 48th Pennsylvania Infantry/Civil War Musings
• July 2, 2009: The Top 10 Gettysburg Books event continues with the Top 10 Gettysburg Books as chosen by Harry Smeltzer of Bull Runnings, Craig Swain of To the Sound of the Guns, and Nick Kurtz of Battlefield Wanderings
• July 3, 2009: The Top 10 Gettysburg Books event winds to a conclusion with the Top 10 Gettysburg Books as chosen by Chris Wehner of Blog 4 History and Brett Schulte of TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog.  A final blog entry here at TOCWOC will tabulate the results and create a combined top 10 list for all of the Civil War bloggers participating.  A permanent page which will contain links to each blog entry and the final results has already been established and is only waiting for the posts to go live prior to being completed.
• July 4, 2009: A free book giveaway will occur to celebrate America’s independence from Great Britain.  Stay tuned for further details on the morning of July 4!

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Check out Brett’s Civil War Books!

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Wars within a War: Controversy and Conflict over the American Civil War (Civil War America)
edited by Joan Waugh and Gary W. Gallagher

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (May 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807832758
• ISBN-13: 978-0807832752
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches

The Civil War generated a series of military questions that keep us busy almost 150 years after the action occurred.  This book is a series of essays not on those military questions but on social issues occurring during and after the war.  These essays provide a different view of the war; one that military history ignores but can expand our horizons.  Essays on Social History can be written for a select audience and be tedious or impossible to read.  This book contains both.  Additionally, a number of authors chose to display their ample vocabulary at the expense of readability and sentence construction.

Stephanie McCurry leads off with an excellent look at the war’s impact on poor Southern white women.  This is what Social History should be as she covers their entry into politics via petitions.  Not the easiest read but rewarding and thought provoking.

Gary W. Gallagher looks at Hollywood’s depicting the war.  An excellent writer, he knows this subject and provides an informative, interesting, readable piece.

Matthew Gallman looks at the USCT regiments at Olustee in a combination of social and military history.  This is the direction social history should consider.  He has combined looking at the men in these regiments with a good look at one of their major battles.

James Marten looks at the Soldier’s Homes in a very strong essay looks a charity as it was not as we see it.  Drew Gilpin Faust takes up the question of burying the Union dead and the impact it had on America.  These two essays make the reader look at America as it was from 1860 to 1920.  Again, this excellent social history is thought provoking and covers subject that military history ignores.

James McPherson contributes little in an essay on Lincoln and McClellan.  This is the shortest essay and contains nothing that has not been said elsewhere.  There are no insights nor is there anything new or different here.

I was unable to finish the essay on Walt Whitman.  Overly academic, it seemed pointless and boring.  The balance of the essays are readable and of varying interest.  I would have enjoyed Carol Reardon’s piece on Sherman more if I had not just read a book on the subject.

The 12 essays score as five winners, two losers and five fair to good.  This is a social history book and needs to be considered as such.  The more you like social history, the more you may like this book.

Editor’s Note: Jim is a Top 500 Amazon.com reviewer.

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

Read many Civil War Book Reviews here at TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog!

Check out Brett’s Civil War Books!

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A Beckoning Hellfire: A Novel of the Civil War

By J. D. R. Hawkins

On Christmas Eve, 1862 David Summers and his family learn of the terrible news of his father’s death, presumably at the hands of Yankee soldiers, at the battle of Fredericksburg a week earlier.  The following spring, on a mission of revenge having waited until his eighteenth birthday, David enlists in the Confederate Cavalry with his best friend Jake Kimball.  Together they set off on a trek that will lead them from their northern Alabama homes to Virginia where they join J.E.B. Stuart’s Cavalry.

Once in the cavalry, and having seen the elephant at Chancellorsville, and Brandy Station, the chivalric nobility of war has lost its luster and David’s lust for revenge begins to wane.  He has suffered a personal loss, and discovers that war is a brutal and bloody business, full of pain and suffering, as he sees those around him cut down, one after another, in the heat of battle.

“A Beckoning Hellfire,” is the first published novel of author J. D. R. Hawkins.  Though there is much to like about her novel, but it has its problems as well.  Sadly, Ms. Hawkins novel lacks originality, in both its structure and its content.  She tells her story in a linear narration, and her plot is very predictable.  Before their departure, Jake’s fiancé, Callie Mae Copeland, pulls David aside to tell him if Jake dies that she will marry him.  David and Jake both take their own horses to the Confederate Cavalry, David’s, and Indian pony mix named Renegade, and Jake’s a nag named Ole Stella.  Putting these two pieces of information together early on in her novel, Ms. Hawkins reveals too much of her plot to her readers too soon.  There is little surprise for Ms. Hawkins’ readers when Jake’s horse dies of exhaustion, forcing him to join the Confederate Infantry and Jake’s own death in turn at Chancellorsville.  Ms. Hawkins also relies a bit too heavily on the tried and true of Civil War fiction, case in point, when Jake and David enlist in the Cavalry, Jake’s father instructs him to put a piece of paper with the number eighteen written on it in his shoe so that when the recruiting officer asks him if he is over 18 he can honestly state yes.  Scenes like this appear in many Civil War novels and movies (nearly this exact scene takes place in the 80’s television miniseries “The Blue and the Gray”).

Having said that, Ms. Hawkins does a very good job of developing David’s character arc; transforming his revenge driven exuberance to kill a few Yankees into the suffering and pain of seeing death and destruction all around him.  Ms. Hawkins also does an exemplary job with her battle scenes, though brief, they are very well done, and she pulls no punches when it comes to showing her readers the blood and gore of a Civil War battlefield.

On the final page, after David, having received what seems to be a mortal wound at Gettysburg, alone and bleeding in a barn, came my biggest disappointment when I read the words: “To be continued…”  For “A Beckoning Hellfire” is not a complete novel, but rather a half, or a third of one, as Ms. Hawkins has published on her blog, she has already written two sequels.  As I anxiously await the continuation of David Summer’s story, I can’t help but wish it could have been told between the covers of a single volume.

ISBN 978-0-595-43531-9, iUniverse, © 2007, Paperback, 196 pages, $14.95

The “In the Review Queue” series provides TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog readers with a brief look at books Brett Schulte is planning to review here on the blog.  These will be very similar to Drew Wagenhoffer’s “Booknotes” series at Civil War Books and Authors.

The Civil War publishing world definitely appears to be exploding here lately, and reviewers like me are reaping the benefits!  The latest book I’ve received in the mail is Upton’s Regulars: The 121st New York Infantry in the Civil War, written by Salvatore G. Cilella Jr. and published by the University Press of Kansas.  The book is part of their Modern War Studies series.  As many Civil War buffs may have guessed by the title, the 121st New York was commanded during much of the war by Emory Upton, famous for his small, quick attack on the Mule Shoe salient at Spotsylvania, the success of which led to the even more famous  and deadly fighting on that front on May 12, 1864 where Ed Johnson’s Confederate division was all but annihilated.  The 121st fought in many of the largest battles in the east from Antietam on, including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and all of the major battles of the 1864 Overland Campaign.  In a nice turn of events for me, the 121st was also involved in the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road during the Siege of Petersburg prior to taking part in Sheridan’s Valley Campaign.  They moved back to the siege lines around the Cockade City in December 1864, and participated at Second Hatcher’s Run prior to taking part in the final battles of the war.  I’m also intrigued by the books extended look at Emory Upton, a fascinating personality and a forward thinker when it cmae to tactics.  This is a large book, coming in at 592 pages.  Although Upton’s Regulars is filled with illustrations, a rather disappointing discovery is what appears to be a complete lack of tactical maps.  Other than a battle or campaign study, nowhere are maps needed more than a unit history.  How is a reader supposed to understand where the regiment was and what it did without maps?  My eventual review of the book will definitely take points off for what appears to be a serious oversight.

Information on Upton’s Regulars from the University Press of Kansas web site is as follows:

Upton’s Regulars

The 121st New York Infantry in the Civil War

Salvatore G. Cilella Jr.

June 2009
592 pages, 40 illustrations, 6-1⁄8 x 9-1⁄4
Modern War Studies
Cloth ISBN 978-0-7006-1645-9, $39.95

From Cooperstown and its surrounding region, upstate New Yorkers responded to President Lincoln’s call to service by volunteering in droves to defend an imperiled Union. Drawn from the farms and towns of Otsego and Herkimer counties, the 121st New York State Volunteer Infantry Regiment served with the Sixth Corps in the Army of the Potomac throughout the Civil War. In the first comprehensive history of the regiment in nearly ninety years, Salvatore Cilella chronicles the epic story of this heroic “band of brothers.”

Led for much of the war by the legendary Emory Upton, the 121st deployed nearly 1,900 men into battle, from over 1,000 at call-up to the 330 who were finally mustered out of its war-depleted unit. Its soldiers participated in 25 major engagements, from Antietam to Sailor’s Creek, won six Medals of Honor, took several battle flags, led the charge at Spotsylvania, and captured Custis Lee at Sailor’s Creek. Cilella now tells their story, viewing the war through upstate New Yorkers’ eyes not only to depict three grueling years of fighting but also to reveal their distinctive attitudes regarding slavery, war goals, politics, and the families they left behind.

Cilella mines the letters, diaries, memoirs, and speeches of more than 120 soldiers and officers to weave a compelling narrative that traces the 121st from enlistment through the horrors of battle and back to civilian life. Their words vividly recount the experience of combat, but also rail against Washington bureaucrats and commanding generals. Many were upset with those who suggested that Emancipation was the war’s primary cause, declaring their fight to be for the Union rather than freed slaves, but they also scorned any Northerners who sympathized with the South.

Cilella also features compelling portraits of the regiment’s three commanders: original recruiter Richard Franchot; West Pointer Upton, by whose name the 121st came to be known; and Otsego County native Egbert Olcott. Readers will especially gain new insights into the charismatic Upton, who took command at the age of 23, was a fearless leader on the field of battle, and became one of the army’s most admired regimental leaders, clearly marking him out for future accomplishments.

As dire as the war became, especially in the summer of 1864, Upton’s Regulars repeatedly told their families they would do it all again and would sooner die in battle than shirk their responsibility to the Union. This regimental history stands as a testament to that dedication—and as an unvarnished look at the harsh realities of war.

“This is an evocative, engaging, and often exciting portrait of a regiment that has been probed by historians before—but never with such a fine brew of deep scholarship and skillful writing, and never with such perception about not only military life, but also the political and social forces behind the lines. Salvatore Cilella has made a unique and highly readable contribution to Civil War literature.”—Harold Holzer, Co-chairman, U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

“In a powerful and moving narrative, Cilella examines the men who served in the 121st New York infantry, from their rural backgrounds through vigorous warfare. This well documented study also explores how the survivors, only one-fourth of those who joined up, lived after the war. This book not only takes its place among the best of regimental histories, it serves as a model for the kinds of studies needed to understand the transformation of a war to preserve the union to one committed to a new birth of freedom.”—Orville Vernon Burton, author of The Age of Lincoln

“Cilella provides a remarkably full account of the 121st’s soldiers and their circumstances as they enlist, train, march off, and experience three years of the Civil War. His research on their experiences and attitudes is impressive, even amazing. Well written, informative, and analytical, it’s everything an excellent regimental history should be. I strongly recommend it.”—Steven Woodworth, author of Nothing But Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861–1865

“Cilella wonderfully captures the experience of the common man in the Civil War as represented by those who were part of the campaigns of New York’s 121st Infantry.”—D. Stephen Elliott, President and CEO, New York State Historical Association and The Farmers’ Museum

SALVATORE G. CILELLA JR. is president and CEO of the Atlanta Historical Society.

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

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The “In the Review Queue” series provides TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog readers with a brief look at books Brett Schulte is planning to review here on the blog.  These will be very similar to Drew Wagenhoffer’s “Booknotes” series at Civil War Books and Authors.

I received three new Civil War books to review in rapidfire succession this week,  so this In the Review Queue will cover all three and will be in a slightly abbreviated format.  It also appears that Drew Wagenhoffer and I like the same publishers.

1) In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications and Confederate Defeat by Earl J. Hess

This is the third and final volume of Earl Hess’ study of field fortifications in the American Civil War.  As long time readers of TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog already know, I enjoy studying the under covered battles of the Petersburg Campaign.  In addition, I’ve read, reviewed, and enjoyed the first book in Dr. Hess’ series, Field Armies and Fortifications in the Civil War, and while I have yet to read Trench Warfare under Grant and Lee: Field Fortifications in the Overland Campaign, I will probably skip over that book for the present and go straight to this one.  The subject of how the field fortifications grew and morphed throughout the nearly 10 month long Petersburg Campaign is one of extreme interest to me, so I have literally been looking forward to this one since it was only a rumor several years ago.  This one is part of the University of North Carolina Press’ Civil War America series. 

Click here for a look at the University of North Carolina Press page for In the Trenches at Petersburg.

2) A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War by Daniel E. Sutherland

This book is also in the previously noted Civil War America series.  As Drew mentions in his latest Booknotes series entry, this book has the potential to “be the best ‘big picture’ book to date” on guerrilla operations during the Civil War.  Unlike Petersburg, guerrilla operations are admittedly not an area of expertise for me.  With that said, I am looking forward to gaining an overall understanding of those operations by reading A Savage Conflict which will then allow me to explore further books on the subject with more prior knowledge. 

Click here for a look at the University of North Carolina Press page for A Savage Conflict.  On the official page for the book, Sutherland’s thesis appears to be that guerrilla warfare served to undermine the trust in the Confederate government as nominally “Confederate” guerrillas became more and more unruly as the war went on.

3) Sister States, Enemy States: The Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee edited by Kent Dollar, Larry H.Whiteaker, and W. Calvin Dickinson

Ah, another “essay book”.  Veteran TOCWOC readers know I love these as well.  Multiple scholars take a look at “the social, political, and economic impact of the war on the people of both states, including disenfranchised groups such as women, refugees, and African Americans.”  While I could do without some of the inevitable “race, class, gender” essays sure to be found in this one, the overall concept should ensure that I will find enough essays to be of interest to make the book a worthwhile purchase.  I haven’t had a chance to leaf through this one yet, but it appears promising based on topic and format alone.

Click here for a look at the University Press of Kentucky page for Sister States, Enemy States.

*****

Check out Brett’s list of the Top 10 Civil War Blogs!

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