1 comments about Liddell's Record.

1. General St. John Richardson Liddell was a biased, cantankerous, violent man devoted to the Confederacy yet doubtful of its ultimate success. This is history with the varnish off; Liddell wrote this record immediately after the war and never expected it to be published in his lifetime. It's one of the essential texts for understanding the Confederate Army of Tennessee and provides great insight into the personalities of its commander. More importantly, it reveals in great detail the mind of one former Confederate.

2 comments about So Far from Dixie: Confederates in Yankee Prisons.

1. My great-grandfather, Charles Slavens Cooper, was a confederate prisoner at Elmira in New York state, which explained my interest in this book. The book is well written and held my riveted attention for 2-3 days to complete reading it. Prison hardships, tales of escapes, and war experiences make this book a lively read. It is well documented with extensive endnotes and bibliography. There are 16 pages of photos. The first confederate soldiers arrived at this prison July 6, 1864 and the war ended less than one year later. During that time, almost 10,000 confederates were held there, in a place designed for about 1/3 that number. Conditions were horrible. Many died from the cold, lack of good nutrition, rat and mosquitoe born diseases, and poor hygienic conditions. The local cemetary contains about 3,000 grave markers for confederate prisoners. By the way, I also had a great-great-grandfather fight on the side of the North. Fortunately he avoided capture and did not have to spend any time at the notorious Andersonville prison in Georgia.



2. I really enjoyed this book. The author keeps you on the edge of your seat while talking of the Rebel's attempting to escape from prison. The book is a real easy read and personnaly I had trouble putting it down. I highly reccomend this book.

No comments about Robert E. Lee (Let Freedom Ring: Civil War Biographies).

2 comments about the Blue Pennant or Notes of a Naval Officer: John W. Grattan Acting Ensign, United States Navy Officer.

1. It is frustrating finding good books on the Navy during the Civil War, most everything published looks at operations on land. So it was fun surprise to find this book the other day. Grattan had a great "view" of the navy -- both its men (of high rank and low) and its operations. One gets an insight into life on ships for officers and enlisted, which is almost unheard of in Civil War publishing. Grattan is also candid in his opinions and one appreciates the frank assessments he makes.

   I was surprised at the length of the editor's introduction (50 pages) -- but it too was a pleasant surprise. Schneller's commentary is informed and well worth reading. I am glad to see that there is a publisher that still lets editors write long intros when warranted.

   The book has good maps and loads of illustrations, most all of which I have never seen before. The editor works at the U.S. Naval Historical Center, it appears he must know where all the good photos, paintings and woodcuts are kept.

   Bottom line -- Grattan and Schneller have teamed up after more than 130 years to produce a most fascinating book. If you are looking for something new and interesting on the Civil War, you will love their collaboration!




2. "Under the Blue Pennant" is a rare, firsthand account of naval life during the Civil War. For that alone, it would merit recognition, but it is also a well-written, fascinating history of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Its author, John Grattan, served as a clerk to the Squadron's commander, which provided him an intimate glimpse into both major strategic maneuvers and into the daily life of the Civil War sailor on the Union side. Many modern military experts view today's joint operations between all services as a new approach to war. Grattan's account provides solid proof that the Union's leaders were planning and executing combined operations all along. Grattan recorded his experiences and observations in a clear, cohesive prose. What Grattan leaves out in background detail, is ably provided in editor Robert John Schneller's excellent introduction. Although quite lengthy, the introduction places Grattan's experiences into the overall context of the Civil War. "Under the Blue Pennant" helps feeling a gaping hole of Civil War literature by wonderfully illustrating the vital but long neglected naval side of the war.

No comments about Douglas Southall Freeman on Leadership (Great Historians of the Civil War).

No comments about History of the Orphan Brigade ([Kentucky culture series]).

1 comments about Reminiscences of General Basil W. Duke, C.S.A. (Select bibliographies reprint series).

1. The Reminiscences, first published in 1991, reprinted in 2000, offer an anecdotal history of events prior, during and after the Civil War as recalled by GEN Basil Duke, a Kentuckian who rode with John Hunt Morgan's cavalry. The narrative jumps and skips over matters weighty and minor, from one well-drawn vignette of soldier life or Southern culture to another. While the volume does not lend itself well to the general reader, it remains of interest and value to Kentuckians, scholars of the Civil War and, in particular, those studying the Confederate High Command. Lengthy sections are devoted to discussions of Braxton Bragg and John C. Breckinridge (commander of Kentucky's "Orphan Brigade"). Highly recommended to the specialst and the devoted Civil War buff.

1 comments about The Civil War Letters of Dr. Harvey Black: A Surgeon With Stonewall Jackson (Army of Northern Virginia).

1. Dr. Harvey Black, grandson of one of the founders of Blacksburg, Virginia, served as surgeon of the 4th Virginia Regiment, as surgeon of the Stonewall Brigade, and as surgeon in charge of the Second Corps Field Hospital of the Army of Northern Virginia. Black's Civil War letters, which begin with Stonewall Jackson's Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862 and end with Jubal Early's Valley Campaign of 1864, discuss climactic battles like Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. Literate and perceptive, Black had interesting things to say about figures like Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Jubal Early, and Thomas Rosser. The Second Corps Field Hospital was the site of the amputation of Jackson's arm at Chancellorsville, and Black was one of three surgeons who assisted Dr. Hunter McGuire in the operation. In addition to Harvey Black's letters, the book contains three letters of his wife Mollie, all that have survived. They poignantly reveal the trials Southern women faced during the war, fending for themselves and their families. The small town of Blacksburg in Appalachian Virginia also plays an important part in the story. An appendix transcribes and analyses the free and slave schedules for the 1860 Blacksburg census.

   Black was a significant figure in the Civil War and postwar Virginia medicine and education. After the war, Black helped found what is today known as Virginia Tech.

No comments about Memoirs of William T. Sherman (The great commanders).

No comments about Georgia.