Blog
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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Published: 11/25/24
Civil War Punishments
Discover the various methods used to discipline soldiers during the Civil War.
Published: 11/20/24
Plants in the Civil War (2024)
Plants in the Civil War is a helpful book, highlighting the ways in which the botanical world provided for humans’ needs during times of peace and during times of war.
Published: 11/18/24
A Helping Hand
The Civil War saw many advances in devices to aid amputees, including the practical tool known as a “knork.”
Published: 11/13/24
Gettysburg in Color, Vol. 2 (2024)
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, "Gettysburg in Color" is a handsome and visually stunning volume.
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Published: 11/11/24
Civil War Veterans, Part 1
View Union and Confederate Civil War veterans—by themselves and at reunions—in photos taken throughout the postwar decades.