Month: March 2010

  • Review: The Confederacy’s Secret Weapon: The Civil War Illustrations of Frank Vizetelly

    The Confederacy’s Secret Weapon: The Civil War Illustrations of Frank Vizetelly (Civil War Sesquicentennial Series) (Paperback) by Douglas W. Bostick Product Details Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: History Press (November 20, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1596295929 ISBN-13: 978-1596295926 Small books have a special set of delights unique to them.  Unlike their huge detailed conspicuous footnoted brothers, […]

  • White Death

    A quick look at the world’s most successful sniper, Simo Häyhä of Finland. During the brief Russo-Finnish “Winter War” of 1939-40, Häyhä was credited with killing an astounding 500 Russian soldiers before he was wounded. In spite of being hit in the jaw with an explosive round he survived the war and lived into his […]

  • Discovering the Civil War Online with American Military University, Part 1

    UPDATE: The Discovering the Civil War Online Presentation is available to everyone free online. I “attended” a webcast put on by American Public University and hosted by Dan Soschin on March 3, 2010.  Fellow bloggers Rene Tyree, Jim Schmidt, James Rosebrock and  Rea Andrew Redd were in attendance. The webcast featured three presentations related to […]

  • Short Takes

    States Rights—it’s not just for George Wallace any more. Whether it’s correctly called a movement, a backlash or political theater, state declarations of their rights – or in some cases denunciations of federal authority, amounting to the same thing – are on a roll. After 230 years the Army is dropping bayonet training. Lt. Gen. […]

  • New Civil War Battle Blog: Scott Patchan’s Shenandoah 1864

    I received an email from Facebook tonight which alerted me to Scott C. Patchan’s new battle blog, Shenandoah 1864: The Valley Campaign. Scott is an expert on the lesser known 1864 Valley Campaign, much less covered than its famous 1862 cousin. He has authored three books on the subject, The Forgotten Fury: The Battle of […]

  • Review: Loyal Hearts: Histories of American Civil War Canines

    Loyal Hearts: Histories of American Civil War Canines by Michael Zucchero Product Details Hardcover: 184 pages Publisher: Schroeder Publications; 1st edition (February 16, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1889246573 ISBN-13: 978-1889246574 Horses are famous.  Many of us can name a general’s horse without any problem at all.  Robert E. Lee’s horse, Traveler, rated a novel by […]

  • Dean West’s Bio

    Editor’s Note: Dean West has graciously decided to join TOCWOC as a new blogger.  Dean’s recent comments on one of Fred Ray’s posts and the resulting email exchange which followed made it clear Dean was one of the “obsessively compulsed” amateur Civil War historians who fit the profile of a TOCWOC blogger.  A little bit […]