Book Reviews
The digital home of book reviews and author interviews—and your source of the most up-to-date information on all things Civil War literature
Published: 8/5/26
Ulysses’s Odyssey (2026)
Picone provides a truly fresh vantage point on Grant’s contributions to the nation and the world.
Published: 7/29/26
A Desperate Fight (2026)
"A Desperate Fight" shows how the war in Louisiana was sustained by everyday relationships between soldiers, families, and communities.
Published: 7/22/26
The Confederate Resurgence of 1864 (2024)
William Marvel advances a bold argument about a series of oft-overlooked rebel victories in "The Confederate Resurgence of 1864"
Published: 7/15/26
Decisions on Western Waters (2026)
The latest entry in the Command Decisions in America's Civil War series turns to the western waters.
Published: 7/8/26
Torn Asunder (2025)
Pani's command of Mexican history provides essential context for the U.S. Civil War.
Published: 6/30/26
Take Freedom (2026)
"Take Freedom" poignantly demonstrates that scholars have erroneously accepted the narrative from white authorities that Denmark Vesey led the foiled slave insurrection of 1822.
Published: 6/24/26
Our Onward March (2025)
According to Jonathan Neu, Union veterans continued to battle for the cause of Union during the Progressive Era and beyond.
Published: 6/17/26
Point Lookout, Maryland (2026)
Crickenberger relies on Point Lookout's extensive archival record to offer a comprehensive portrait of the Civil War prison.
Published: 6/10/26
Defiant (2025)
"Defiant" is a graphic novelization of Robert Smalls’ biography.
Published: 6/3/26
The Lynches of South Carolina (2026)
"The Lynches of South Carolina" provides a snapshot of a Catholic family seeking to make its way in the postbellum United States.
Published: 5/27/26
Green & Blue (2025)
"Green and Blue" represents a significant accomplishment in advancing the study of the common Irish American soldier.
Published: 5/20/26
From Gray to Blue (2026)
Patrick Garrow widens the traditional definition of galvanized Yankees in "From Gray to Blue."
Published: 5/13/26
A Little Piece of Hell at Gettysburg (2026)
Scott T. Fink highlights the significance of the Rose Farm, the vortex of Gettysburg's Wheatfield.
Published: 5/6/26
Fred Grant at Vicksburg (2025)
Fred Grant's memoir is a "touching portrayal of a father through the eyes of his son."
Published: 4/29/26
Black Religion in the Madhouse (2025)
Judith Weisenfeld's well-researched book focuses on the "social worlds of formerly enslaved Black people and their descendants."
Published: 4/22/26
The Old Alcalde (2026)
An exhaustive biography of an "unlikely" fire-eater who was perhaps the principal author of Texas's secession ordinance.
Published: 4/15/26
Gettysburg Postcards (2026)
A handsome and handy reference volume that will repay anyone interested in the Gettysburg battlefield's history.
Published: 4/8/26
The Reconstruction Diary of Frances Anne Rollin (2025)
Putzi's volume is an excellent resource for scholars of both Reconstruction and nineteenth-century print culture.