Those that can’t write, review!
April 2008
Savas Beatie has announced One Continuous Fight the Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 by Eric Wittenberg, J. David Petruzzi and Michael Nugent for May 2008. The 576-page book will contain 40 photos and 18 maps. Wittenberg and Petruzzi authored of the well received Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart’s Controversial Ride to Gettysburg from the same publisher in 2006. Amazon.com rates Plenty of Blame a five star book.
Darrell Collins’ MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT E RODES OF THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA: a Biography is running late. The revised publication date is May 2008. The book will be over 350 pages, with 26 photos, illustrations and maps. Robert E. Rodes was consider one of the best division commanders in Lee’s army. The author has used a large number of contemporary sources to develop the information for the book. His widow destroyed most of Rodes personal papers.
The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Ezra A. Carman’s Definitive Study of the Union and Confederate Armies at Antietam by Joseph Pierro is released and should be shipping. The author received his copy ahead of the reading public and had to answer questions about that on-line. The book was published March 17 and should be shipping to retailers about the 27. This is a very large book of close to 1,000 pages with 8 ½ x 11 pages.
The Golden Age of Battlefield Preservation: the Decade of the 1890’s and the Establishment of America’s First Five Military Parks by Timothy B. Smith while listed as published in February 2008. Amazon is not shipping until the end of April. This is a much-needed history of the first five Battle Parks, the politics and problems associated with their establishment. We have long needed a book on this subject and this will be a welcome addition. Timothy B. Smith is the author of This Great Battlefield of Shiloh: History, Memory, and the Establishment of a Civil War National Military Park in 2006. This book detailed the process of creating one of the parks. He is the author of Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg and the editor of Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862. All of these books have been very well reviewed on Amazon.com.
General Lee’s Army: from Victory to Collapse by Joseph Glatthaar is available. Joseph Glatthaar is the author of Forged in Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers. He has worked with a number of well-known Civil War authors on other well-received books. Forged in Battle is a landmark book and one of the first modern histories to look at the role of the USCT in the war, with a five star rating on Amazon. Glatthaar has done an excellent job, I’m reading the book and enjoying it.
Ironclad Publishing will publish Dave Powell’s books on the Battle of Chickamauga. Dave conducts a seminar on that field each March and has a great deal of knowledge on the subject. While publication is not due soon, this is something to anticipate.
Recent Amazon.com Reviews
The Artillery of Gettysburg a unique perspective on an old story. Bradley Gottfried, the author of multiple books and articles on this battle tells us the story of the artillery. This is not the most readable of books BUT is very valuable and worth the effort to read. Amazon.com carries a solid four star rating for the book.
House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, A Family Divided by War received three stars. I consider this a very readable book and one that should be read with The Fighting McCooks by Charles & Barbara Whalen. We need more family biographies to understand the impact of the war. Only by getting to know a family can we begin to understand how many died.
Civil War Almanac (Almanacs of American Wars) this is a five star gift, reporting the war as daily events. We often do not see as an unfolding activity and books like this can help us understand the process.
Roll Call to Destiny: The Soldier’s Eye View of Civil War Battles a book by Nosworthy is always worth reading. All the reviews agree this is a five star book and something that you will want to read.
Decision in the Heartland: The Civil War in the West (Reflections on the Civil War Era) by Stephen Woodworth is an expensive book at $40 with only 208 pages. If you read my review, you may feel that it is worth the price. I feel this is on of the best books on the subject you can buy.
Miscellaneous
One of my lists on Amazon.com is Refighting the Civil War. This is a list of Windows PC games by HPS Simulations on famous campaigns. The newest one, released in March, is Campaign Antietam. I have loads of fun with these games and they help me understand the problems associated with commanding an army. You can find a list of the games by checking my profile on Amazon.com.
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