TOCWOC – A Civil War Blog

Month: October 2010

  • Victorian Steampunk Machines

    I mentioned steampunk submarines in a previous post, but there’s more. T’was an elegant age in which designers were not afraid to make things beautiful as well as functional. There is a movement afoot in Britain to finally build Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Babbage, one of the age’s greatest geniuses, designed but never completed a […]

  • October 2010 Civil War Book Notes

    Those that can’t write, Review! October 2010 James W. Durney *********************************************************** In memoriam Joseph Lee Harsh Joseph L. Harsh died on September 13, 2010 in Fairfax, Virginia.  Funeral Services were Friday September 17, 2010 at Centreville United Methodist Church, Centreville, Virginia. “Big McClellan man!” is how Dr. Charles Poland described Dr. Harsh during the summer […]

  • University of Kentucky Press Sale

    The University Press of Kentucky is having a 25% off sale, just use code FPCN when checking out. The web site is not terribly well organized but they do publish a number of Civil War books including Wm. C. Davis’ bio of John C. Breckinridge and Spencer Tucker’s bio of John Imboden. The Social History […]

  • Short Takes

    After 235 years the US Army has dropped bayonet training from its basic training curriculum. The bayonet has been very much a part of military history since its introduction in the 17th century as a replacement for the pike. Early “plug” models simply fit into the muzzle, making it impossible to fire the gun. The […]