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: 8/26/26
The Forts Henry and Donelson Campaign (2026)
The latest entry in Southern Illinois University Press's Civil War Campaigns in the West series assembles seven essays on ten days that doomed the Confederacy.
Published: 8/19/26
Fear No Pharaoh (2025)
Richard Kreitner delivers a well-researched and balanced account of American Jewry during the Civil War.
Published: 8/12/26
An Officer of Six Navies (2026)
An excellent book highlighting the life of one of the Confederate Navy's most important junior officers.
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."