Blog
Published: 1/22/25
Nat Turner, Black Prophet (2024)
"Nat Turner, Black Prophet" is only the latest in a line of recent and excellent scholarship on the Southampton revolt.
Published: 1/20/25
Family Ties
How understanding our familial connections to the past help us form our collective aspirations for the future.
Published: 1/19/25
Civil War Snow Sledding
A contemporary review of Brown's Coasting Sled, a device patented in 1862, offers a look at the nature of snow sledding during the Civil War years.
Published: 1/15/25
The Mexican-American War Experiences of Twelve Civil War Generals (2024)
Readers of Timothy Johnson's volume will appreciate the chance to learn more about the early lives and careers of a dozen Civil War generals.
Published: 1/13/25
Extra Voices: Narrow Escapes
Read first-hand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the close calls they and their comrades had in combat during the Civil War.
Published: 1/8/25
Holding the Political Center in Illinois (2024)
"Holding the Political Center in Illinois" is fascinating account of Prairie State politics in the 1850s.
Published: 1/6/25
A Firearm Transformed
Follow a Union soldier's journey with the M1816/22 rifled musket, a prominent firearm that served on the frontlines of the Civil War.
Published: 1/1/25
An Eventful New Year
Explore a letter from a Union officer that documents an Emancipation Day celebration in New Bern, North Carolina, on New Year's Day, 1865.
Published: 1/1/25
American Civil Wars (2024)
Alan Taylor's "American Civil Wars" offers a lucid, engaging, and spritely account of the period.
Published: 12/30/24
The Loss of the “Monitor”
Explore the tragic story of the USS Monitor's loss in a storm off Cape Hatteras through the first-hand account of seaman Francis B. Butts.
Published: 12/25/24
Freedom Was in Sight! (2024)
"Freedom Was in Sight!" represents a synthesis of popular art and solid historical scholarship.
Published: 12/23/24
A West Point Fantasy Draft
Evaluating antebellum West Point graduates based on their class performances as part of a mock Civil War commanders' NFL-style draft.
Published: 12/18/24
The Carceral City (2024)
John Bardes' "The Carceral City" is an important and careful history of slavery, freedom, and incarceration in the United States.
Published: 12/16/24
How a Man Feels in Battle
How did men experience combat during the Civil War? A Union veteran of the Battle of Bull Run offers his thoughts.
Published: 12/11/24
Between Extremes (2024)
Jack Furniss's welcome book shows how loyal state governments defined the purposes of the Civil War when calling upon their citizens to sacrifice for the Union cause.
Published: 12/9/24
At Fredericksburg
A poignant poem from Harper's Weekly tells the story of two Union comrades facing the horrors of the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Published: 12/2/24
Discovering Munfordville
Writer John Banks reflects on the Battle of Munfordville, Kentucky, during a visit to the site of the September 1862 fight.
Published: 11/27/24
“Digging All Night and Fighting All Day” (2024)
“Digging All Night and Fighting All Day” is a fantastic look at one of the Civil War’s final campaigns, demonstrating federal prowess, Confederate resolve, the intricacies of interservice cooperation, and the complexities of how wars end.
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