When we think about battles in the Civil War, most of us will think of locations like Antietam, Bull Run, or Gettysburg. But the encounters at Peralta, Valverde, and Glorieta Pass were also important. But we don’t usually hear much about the Western theater of the war. Part of that may have to do with Read More
Tag: Civil War
Mason-Dixon, by Edward G Gray
I think we have all heard of the Mason-Dixon line, with regard to the Civil War and the lead-up to it, but I did not know who Mason and Dixon were, or how the line came to be. The line predates the era that it is almost synonymous with by almost a century. And the Read More
Daughter of Boston, edited by Helen R Deese
This is the edited transcription of a diary written by Caroline Healy Dall in the 1800’s. The editor has also added introductions to each chapter, which each cover a year or two in the life of Caroline Dall. Deese has also added footnotes that identify most of the people Dall mentions in her diary. And Read More
The Lion and the Fox, by Alexander Rose
The subtitle of this book is “Two Rival Spies and the Secret Plot to Build a Confederate Navy”, and it does read somewhat like a spy thriller. Most of the action happens in, of all places, Liverpool, England. The American Consul assigned to Liverpool, which had a number of companies who were very good at Read More
Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
This book is not a weekend read, or a beach book. But if you are interested in Lincoln’s presidency, and the Civil War era, it is a book you should read. This book is not just about Lincoln; as the title suggests, Kearns also discusses the members of his cabinet, some of whom were his Read More
Brought Forth on This Continent, by Harold Holzer
This is a Lincoln biography, but with a specific focus. The subtitle of the book is “Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration”. Most of the biographies of Lincoln that I have read, and I certainly have not read them all, focus mainly on his early years, and then the years in the White House in the Read More
American Aristocrats, by Harry S Stout
The author tracks the Anderson family, starting with the patriarch, Richard Clough Anderson, through the next two generations. This was made easier by two things – there is a lot of correspondence between the family members, and a few other individuals, that is still extant, and this family was acquainted with, or was distantly related Read More
Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters, by Jennifer Chiaverini
Much has been written about Abraham Lincoln. Much less has been written about his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. During her lifetime, especially during her husband’s years as President, she was frequently maligned. Some of the bad press she garnered was at least somewhat justified; she did spend quite a lot of money redecorating the White Read More
Liar Temptress Soldier Spy, by Karen Abbot
These are the true stories of four women who all felt compelled to take action at the outbreak of the Civil War. Two worked to help the Union, two were loyal to the Confederacy. All risked their reputation, fortune, and/or life, and all paid a price for their dedication to their cause. But after reading Read More
Booth, by Karen Joy Fowler
In the early to mid 1800’s, the most famous Booth was not John Wilkes. His older brothers June and Edwin, and their father Junius before them, were well-known in the theatrical world. Since most of the family members are either anti-secession or apolitical, they seem to have been mostly blindsided by John’s actions. I don’t Read More