Question of the Week: 4/17-4/23/23

What Civil War book[s] are you reading this spring?



28 Responses to Question of the Week: 4/17-4/23/23

  1. This is an easy one. Currently, I am reading”Caught in the Maelstrom: The Indian Nations in the Civil War,” by Clint Crowe.

  2. Now reading Volume 1 of If We Are Striking For Pennsylvania by Scott Mingus and Eric Wittenberg. Looking forward to Volume 2.

  3. IT is going to be a Cavalry-laden Spring. I am currently reading Belcher’s book “The Cavalries at Nashville” and to be followed by Ovis’ “Boy Generals at Gettysburg” and O’Neil’s “Small but Important Riots: The Cavalry Battles of Aldie, Midddleburg and Upperville.”

  4. History, action, leadership, and a bit of romance. Try a piece of historical fiction – 80% history/20% imagination – “California Blood at Gettysburg: from Antebellum California to a bloody Pennsylvania Ridge.” Paperback and e-version available on Amazon.com.

  5. Currently reading Steven Stoltelmeyer “Two Useful To Sacrifice” and Theresa Kaminski “Dr Mary Walker’s Civil War. I. Plan on reading several other titles about Antietam later.

  6. Is Davis a Traitor by Albert Taylor Bledsoe. It is the best analysis of secession ever written.

  7. “Union General” by William Shea. A long overdue biography of Samuel Ryan – the most successful “unknown” Civil War general.

  8. My focus this spring is on the battles of the wheat field and peach orchard on July 2nd at Gettysburg. I started with James Hazlette’s excellent book, Sickles At Gettysburg. I just finished Hold at all Hazards (Bigelow’s Battery At Gettysburg) by David Jones. I’m currently reading The Peach Orchard by Major John Bigelow. Next up is Gettysburg’s Peach Orchard: Longstreet and Sickles …..

  9. Just finishied “Rebel Yell and yankee hurrah” John Haley of the 17th Maine and about to finish “No Better Place to Die” by Cozzens.

  10. Heading down the Mississippi Valley with Tim Smith and US Grant. Finished the Henry/Donelson and Shiloh books. I am about halfway through Corinth with the Vicksburg books on deck. Enjoying them immensely!

    1. I read all the entire set, and pick up one volume now and then for clarification. Freeman is a terrific writer. He clearly admires Lee, but is not guilty of hagiography.

  11. I’m just about to start Boldly They Rode by Ovando Hollister. I know going in that it has some of the same accuracy issues as any postwar account, but it’s also one of the few surviving firsthand accounts from the 1862 New Mexico Campaign.

  12. For this week at least: “Grant at 200” edited by Chris Mackowski and Frank Scaturro and the Strong Vincent bio “The Lion of Round Top” by Hans Myers.

  13. “Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause. by Ty Seidule
    “The Battle of South Mountain” by John David Koptak

    1. At times I felt he was writing about me growing up during that time period in southwest Virginia and my college and military experience.

    1. i read this book years ago … an interesting argument, but not a well supported one — Grant a big fibber and by extension not a great general, too many historians rely, uncritically, on Grant’s memoirs or cite a secondary source which cites his memoirs, and that Rosecrans was really a very good general — much better than his 1 and 1 might record indicate … however, he was deliberately undone by a cabal of jealous officers and civilians — Stanton, Grant, Garfield, Woods, et al … Dr. V. has good youtube video where he discusses his book that is worth a watch.

  14. Our Man in Charleston-Britain’s Secret Agent in the Civil War South, by Christopher Dickey
    Summer of ’63-Gettysburg edited by Chris Mackowski and Dan Welch
    Summer of ’63-Vicksburg & Tullahoma edited by Chris Mackowski and Dan Welch
    Over Lincoln’s Shoulder-The Committee on the Conduct of the War, by Bruce Tap (almost finished with this book in connection with a online history book group)

  15. Just got around reading John Coski’s The Confederate Battle Flag. A very balanced unpacking of the flag’s emotion filled history by the historian at the American Civil War Museum. Written in 2005 and I would love to see it brought up to present. A good read for those who were not around during the 1940 – 1970 period of segregation, massive resistance and its aftermath.

  16. The Blue and the Gray on the Silver Screen by Ray Kinnard
    Patriots Twice by Stephen M. Hood
    Robert E. Lee and Me by Ty Seidule
    From Manassas to Appomattox by General James Longstreet

    As you can see, I’m very busy reading and learning. Great combination. I even get to see a movie once in a while to follow upon and to compare with what I’ve read!

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