Civil wars Books

Book SynopsisOne month in 1865 witnessed the frenzied fall of Richmond, a daring last-ditch Southern plan for guerrilla warfare, Lee''s harrowing retreat, and then, Appomattox. It saw Lincoln''s assassination just five days later and a near-successful plot to decapitate the Union government, followed by chaos and coup fears in the North, collapsed negotiations and continued bloodshed in the South, and finally, the start of national reconciliation.In the end, April 1865 emerged as not just the tale of the war''s denouement, but the story of the making of our nation.Jay Winik offers a brilliant new look at the Civil War''s final days that will forever change the way we see the war''s end and the nation''s new beginning. Uniquely set within the larger sweep of history and filled with rich profiles of outsize figures, fresh iconoclastic scholarship, and a gripping narrative, this is a masterful account of the thirty most pivotal days in the life of the United States.

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Trade Review"Rollicking. ... Equal parts violent melodrama and meticulous procedural... with enough bloody action to engage readers enthralled by tales of good versus evil." -- New York Times Book Review "Superb. ... Mr. Gardner earns an A+ for his research and an A++ for his writing. -- New York Journal of Books "An elegant narrative that's as entertaining as it is historically accurate... A must-read." -- Publishers Weekly "Action packed...A gripping read and probably tells all there is to tell about a legendary group of psychopaths." -- Kirkus "[This] bullet-by-bullet account... sheds considerable light on a neglected aspect of the gang's life of crime... well done." -- Booklist "Rewarding. ... Gardner's re-creation of the Northfield Raid... orchestrates the often-unwieldy particulars of the event with considerable virtuosity. ... It would be hard to imagine a more thorough account." -- Washington Post

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Book Synopsis“Not for nothing has Abbott been called a ‘pioneer of sizzle history.’ Here she creates a gripping page-turner that moves at a breathtaking clip through the dramatic events of the Civil War.”  — Los Angeles TimesKaren Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and “pioneer of sizzle history” (USA Today), tells the spellbinding true story of four women - a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widow - who risked everything to become spies during the Civil War.After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose O’Nea

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Book SynopsisHe found a country broken by the Civil War, but the totems of indestructible Spain survive: the Christ in agony, the thrilling flamenco cry-the pride in poverty, the gypsy intensity in vivid whitewashed slums, the cult of the bullfight, the exultation in death, the humour of hopelessness-the paradoxes deep in the fiery bones of Spain.Trade ReviewHe has a nightingale inside him, a capacity for sensuous, lyrical precision * Guardian *One of the great writers of the last century whose work conjured up a world of earthly warmth and beauty * Independent *Out of a winter in Southern Spain, Mr Lee has spun a magnificent book, outstanding even in a field where the competition is oppressively brilliant' * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisFaced with cancer and financial ruin, the Civil War''s greatest general and former president, Ulysses S. Grant wrote his personal memoirs to secure his family''s future. In doing so he won himself a unique place in American letters. Acclaimed by writers as diverse as Mark Twain and Gertrude Stein, Grant''s memoirs demonstrate the intelligence, intense determination, and laconic modesty that made him the Union''s foremost commander. PERSONAL MEMOIRS is devoted almost entirely to his life as a soldier. For their directness and clarity, his writings on war are without rival in American Literature.Trade Review"The best [memoirs] of any general's since Caesar." —Mark Twain "A unique expression of the national character . . . [Grant] has conveyed the suspense which was felt by himself and his army and by all who believed in the Union cause. The reader finds himself . . . on edge to know how the Civil War is coming out." —Edmund Wilson “Perhaps the most revelatory autobiography of high command to exist in any language. . . . If there is a single contemporary document which explains ‘why the North won the Civil war,’ that abiding conundrum of American historical inquiry, it is the Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.” —John Keegan “Well observed, often humorous, invariably charming, penetrating and lucid . . . On every page, his narrative has the simple directness of the finest English prose, inspired by the King James Bible on which he had been raised. The overall effect is both intimate and majestic.” —The GuardianTable of ContentsIntroduction by James M. McPhersonSuggestions for Further ReadingMaps and IllustrationsPreface1. Ancestry—Birth—Boyhood2. West Point—Graduation3. Army Life—Causes of the Mexican War—Camp Salubrity4. Corpus Christi—Mexican Smuggling—Spanish Rule in Mexico—Supplying Transportation5. Trip to Austin—Promotion to Full Second Lieutenant—Army of Occupation6. Advance of the Army—Crossing the Colorado—The Rio Grande7. The Mexican War—The Battle of Palo Alto—The Battle of Resaca de la Palma—Army of Invasion—General Taylor—Movement on Camargo8. Advance on Monterey—The Black Fort—The Battle of Monterey—Surrender of the City9. Political Intrigue—Buena Vista—Movement against Vera Cruz—Siege and Capture of Vera Cruz10. March to Jalapa—Battle of Cerro Gordo—Perote—Puebla—Scott and Taylor11. Advance on the City of Mexico—Battle of Contreras—Assault at Churubusco—Negotiations for Peace—Battle of Molino del Rey—Storming of Chapultepec—San Cosme—Evacuation of the City—Halls of the Montezumas12. Promotion to First Lieutenant—Capture of the City of Mexico—The Army—Mexican Soldiers—Peace Negotiations13. Treaty of Peace—Mexican Bull Fights—Regimental Quartermaster—Trip to Popcatapetl—Trip to the Caves of Mexico14. Return of the Army—Marriage—Ordered to the Pacific Coast—Crossing the Isthmus—Arrival at San Francisco15. San Francisco—Early California Experiences—Life on the Pacific Coast—Promoted Captain—Flush Times in California16. Resignation—Private Life—Life at Galena—The Coming Crisis17. Outbreak of the Rebellion—Presiding at a Union Meeting—Mustering Officer of State Troops—Lyon at Camp Jackson—Services Tendered to the Government18. Appointed Colonel of the 21st Illinois—Personnel of the Regiment—General Logan—March to Missouri—Movement against Harris at Florida, MO—General Pope in Command—Stationed at Mexico, MO19. Commissioned Brigadier-General—Command at Ironton, MO—Jefferson City—Cape Girardeau—General Prentiss—Seizure of Paducah—Headquarters at Cairo20. General Fremont in Command—Movement against Belmont—Battle of Belmont—A Narrow Escape—After the Battle21. General Halleck in Command—Commanding the District of Cairo—Movement on Fort Henry—Capture of Fort Henry22. Investment of Fort Donelson—The Naval Operations—Attack of the Enemy—Assaulting the Works—Surrender of the Fort 23. Promoted Major-General of Volunteers—Unoccupied Territory—Advance upon Nashville—Situation of the Troops—Confederate Retreat—Relieved of the Command—Restored to the Command—General Smith24. The Army at Pittsburg Landing—Injured by a Fall—The Confederate Attack at Shiloh—The First Day's Fight at Shiloh—General Sherman—Condition of the Army—Close of the First Day's Fight—The Second Day's Fight—Retreat and Defeat of the Confederates25. Struck by a Bullet—Precipitate Retreat of the Confederates—Intrenchments at Shiloh—General Buell—General Johnston—Remarks on Shiloh26. Halleck Assumes Command in the Field—The Advance upon Corinth—Occupation of Corinth—The Army Separated27. Headquarters Moved to Memphis—On the Road to Memphis—Escaping Jackson—Complaints and Requests—Halleck Appointed Commander-in-Chief—Return to Corinth—Movements of Bragg—Surrender of Clarksville—The Advance Upon Chattanooga—Sheridan Colonel of a Michigan Regiment28. Advance of Van Dorn and Price—Price Enters Iuka—Battle of Iuka30. The Campaign against Vicksburg—Employing the Freedmen—Occupation of Holly Springs—Sherman Ordered to Memphis—Sherman's Movements down the Mississippi—Van Dorn Captures Holly Springs—Collecting Forage and Food31. Headquarters Moved to Holly Springs—General McClernand in Command—Assuming Command at Young's Point—Operations above Vicksburg—Fortifications about Vicksburg—The Canal—Lake Providence—Operations at Yazoo Pass32. The Bayous West of the Mississippi—Criticisms of the Northern Press—Running the Batteries—Loss of the Indianola—Disposition of the Troops33. Attack on Grand Gulf—Operations below Vicksburg34. Capture of Port Gibson—Grierson's Raid—Occupation of Grand Gulf—Movement up the Big Black—Battle of Raymond35. Movement against Jackson—Fall of Jackson—Intercepting the Enemy—Battle of Champion's Hill36. Battle of Black River Bridge—Crossing the Big Black—Investment of Vicksburg—Assaulting the Works37. Siege of Vicksburg38. Johnston's Movements—Fortifications at Haines' Bluff—Explosion of the Mine—Explosion of the Second Mine—Preparing for the Assault—The Flag of Truce—Meeting with Pemberton—Negotiations for Surrender—Accepting the Terms—Surrender of Vicksburg39. Retrospect of the Campaign—Sherman's Movements—Proposed Movement upon Mobile—A Painful Accident—Ordered to Report at Cairo40. First Meeting with Secretary Stanton—General Rosecrans—Commanding Military Division of Mississippi—Andrew Johnson's Address—Arrival at Chattanooga41. Assuming the Command at Chattanooga—Opening a Line of Supplies—Battle of Wauhatchie—On the Picket Line42. Condition of the Army—Rebuilding the Railroad—General Burnside's Situation—Orders for Battle—Plans for the Attack—Hooker's Position—Sherman's Movements43. Preparations for Battle—Thomas Carries the First Line of the Enemy—Sherman Carries Missionary Ridge—Battle of Lookout Mountain—General Hooker's Fight44. Battle of Chattanooga—A Gallant Charge—Complete Rout of the Enemy—Pursuit of the Confederates—General Bragg—Remarks on Chattanooga45. The Relief of Knoxville—Headquarters Moved to Nashville—Visiting Knoxville—Cipher Dispatches—Withholding Orders46. Operations in Mississippi—Longstreet in East Tennessee—Commissioned Lieutenant-General—Commanding the Armies of the United States—First Interview with President Lincoln47. The Military Situation—Plans for the Campaign—Sheridan Assigned to Command of the Cavalry—Flank Movements—Forrest at Fort Pillow—General Banks's Expedition—Colonel Mosby—An Incident of the Wilderness Campaign48. Commencement of the Grand Campaign—General Butler's Position—Sheridan's First Raid49. Sherman's Campaign in Georgia—Siege of Atlanta—Death of General McPherson—Attempt to Capture Andersonville—Capture of Atlanta50. Grand Movement of the Army of the Potomac—Crossing the Rapidan—Entering the Wilderness—Battle of the Wilderness51. After the Battle—Telegraph and Signal Service—Movement by the Left Flank52. Battle of Spottsylvania—Hancock's Position—Assault of Warren's and Wright's Crops—Upton Promoted on the Field—Good News from Butler and Sheridan53. Hancock's Assault—Losses of the Confederates—Promotions Recommended—Discomfiture of the Enemy—Ewell's Attack—Reducing the Artillery54. Movement by the Left Flank—Battle of North Anna—An Incident of the March—Moving on Richmond—South of the Pamunkey—Position of the National Army55. Advance on Cold Harbor—An Anecdote of the War—Battle of Cold Harbor—Correspondence with Lee—Retrospective56. Left Flank Movement across the Chickahominy and James—General Lee—Visit to Butler—The Movement on Petersburg—The Investment of Petersburg57. Raid on the Virginia Central Railroad—Raid on the Weldon Railroad—Early's Movement upon Washington—Mining the Works before Petersburg—Explosion of the Mine before Petersburg—Campaign in the Shenandoah Valley—Capture of the Weldon Railroad58. Sheridan's Advance—Visit to Sheridan—Sheridan's Victory in the Shenandoah—Sheridan's Ride to Winchester—Close of the Campaign for the Winter59. The Campaign in Georgia—Sherman's March to the Sea—War Anecdotes—The March on Savannah—Investment of Savannah—Capture of Savannah60. The Battle of Franklin—The Battle of Nashville61. Expedition against Fort Fisher—Attack on the Fort—Failure of the Expedition—Second Expedition against the Fort—Capture of Fort Fisher62. Sherman's March North—Sheridan Ordered to Lynchburg—Canby Ordered to Move against Mobile—Movements of Schofield and Thomas—Capture of Columbia, South Carolina—Sherman in the Carolinas63. Arrival of the Peace Commissioners—Lincoln and the Peace Commissioners—An Anecdote of Lincoln—The Winter before Petersburg—Sheridan Destroys the Railroad—Gordon Carries the Picket Line—Parke Recaptures the Line—The Battle of White Oak Road64. Interview with Sheridan—Grand Movement of the Army of the Potomac—Sheridan's Advance on Five Forks—Battle of Five Forks—Parke and Wright Storm the Enemy's Line—Battles before Petersburg65. The Capture of Petersburg—Meeting President Lincoln in Petersburg—The Capture of Richmond—Pursuing the Enemy—Visit to Sheridan and Meade66. Battle of Sailor's Creek—Engagement at Farmville—Correspondence with General Lee—Sheridan Intercepts the Enemy67. Negotiations at Appomattox—Interview with Lee at McLean's House—The Terms of Surrender—Lee's Surrender—Interview with Lee after the Surrender68. Morale of the Two Armies—Relative Conditions of the North and South—President Lincoln Visits Richmond—Arrival at Washington—President Lincoln's Assassination—President Johnson's Policy69. Sherman and Johnston—Johnston's Surrender to Sherman—Capture of Mobile—Wilson's Expedition—Capture of Jefferson Davis—General Thomas's Qualities—Estimate of General Canby70. The End of the War—The March to Washington—One of Lincoln's Anecdotes—Grand Review at Washington—Characteristics of Lincoln and Stanton—Estimate of the Different Corps CommandersConclusionExplanatory NotesIndex

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Book SynopsisHUGH THOMAS (Lord Thomas of Swynnerton) is the author of a number of highly successful histories, most famously CUBA, THE SLAVE TRADE and THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.

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Book Synopsis''No two nations have ever existed on the face of the earth which could do each other so much good or so much harm''President Buchanan, State of the Nation Address, 1859A World on Fire tells, with extraordinary sweep, one of the least known great stories of British and American history. As America descended into Civil War, British loyalties were torn between support for the North, which was against slavery, and defending the South, which portrayed itself as bravely fighting for its independence. Rallying to their respective causes, thousands of Britons went to America as soldiers - fighting for both Union and Confederacy - racing ships through the Northern blockades, and as observers, nurses, adventurers, guerillas and spies. At the heart of this international conflict lay a complicated and at times tortuous relationship between four individuals: Lord Lyons, the painfully shy British Ambassador in Washington; William Seward, the blustering US Secretary of State; Charles Francis Adams, the dry but fiercely patriotic U.S. ambassador in London; and the restless and abrasive Foreign Secretary Lord John Russell. Despite their efforts, and sometimes as a result of them, America and Britain came within a whisker of declaring war on each other twice in four years. The diplomatic story is only one element in this gloriously multifaceted book. Using a wealth of previously unpublished letters and journals, Amanda Foreman gives fresh accounts of Civil War battles by seeing them through the eyes of British journalists and myriad soldiers on both sides, from flamboyant cavalry commanders to forcibly conscripted private soldiers. She also shows how the War took place in England, from the Confederacy''s secret ship-building programme in Liverpool to the desperate efforts of its propagandists and emissaries - male and female - to influence British public opinion. She even shows how one of the most famous set-piece naval encounters of the War was fought, remarkably, in the English Channel. Foreman tells this epic yet intimate story of enormous personalities, tense diplomacy and torn loyalties as history in the round, captivating her readers with the experience of total immersion in this titanic conflict.Trade ReviewAmanda Foreman's magnificent book provides a completely fresh perspective on the first great modern conflict. Weaving together a vast panoply of people and events, it dramatically brings alive this extraordinary period on British and American history -- Antony BeevorAmbitiously conceived, impressively researched and gracefully written, Amanda Foreman has crafted a narrative rich in detail, anecdote, insight and personalities. It puts a human face - many human faces - on a brutal conflict remorselessly descending into an inhuman total war -- Brian JenkinsA tour de force, a work of extreme virtuosity both in the research and the telling * Bloomberg News *

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Book SynopsisFollowing his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War, the author brings to bear all the force of his humanity, passion and clarity, describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes and cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode: the revolutionary euphoria of Barcelona, the courage of ordinary Spanish men and more.

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Book Synopsis''An unrivalled picture of the rumours, suspicions and treachery of civil war'' Antony BeevorEvery line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism as I understand it''. Thus wrote Orwell following his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War, chronicled in Homage to Catalonia. Here he brings to bear all the force of his humanity, passion and clarity, describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes and cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode: the revolutionary euphoria of Barcelona, the courage of ordinary Spanish men and women he fought alongside, the terror and confusion of the front, his near-fatal bullet wound and the vicious treachery of his supposed allies.A firsthand account of the brutal conditions of the Spanish Civil War, George Orwell''s Homage to Catalonia includes an introduction by Julian Symons.Trade ReviewAn unrivalled picture of the rumours, suspicions and treachery of civil war -- Anthony BeevorA war story that is both brutally honest and lyrically beautiful * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England''s rulers - now in paperbackAlthough he styled himself ''His Highness'', adopted the court ritual of his royal predecessors, and lived in the former royal palaces of Whitehall and Hampton Court, Oliver Cromwell was not a king - in spite of the best efforts of his supporters to crown him.Yet, as David Horspool shows in this illuminating new portrait of England''s Lord Protector, Cromwell, the Puritan son of Cambridgeshire gentry, wielded such influence that it would be a pretence to say that power really lay with the collective. The years of Cromwell''s rise to power, shaped by a decade-long civil war, saw a sustained attempt at the collective government of England; the first attempts at a real Union of Britain; the beginnings of empire; a radically new solution to the idea of a national religion; atrocities in Ireland; and the readmission to England of the Jews, a people officially

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Book SynopsisThis is the classic life of Cromwell by one of the great radical historians of the English Civil War''A triumph of complex interpretation and delicious prose ... Hill introduced nuance into the character of Cromwell and the nature of his revolution ... the finest of guides to the man of the times'' Tristram Hunt, Guardian''A humane and imaginative book by a historian writing at the peak of his powers'' Ivan Roots, Daily Telegraph''This is the most intelligent summation we have on Cromwell, and it is written with the grace and power we have come to expect from Hill'' J. P. Kenyon, Observer''One of the finest historians of the age'' The Times Literary Supplement ''The dean and paragon of English historians'' E.P. ThompsonTrade ReviewThe master ... Hill is the reason why most of us know anything about the 17th century at all -- Martin Kettle * Guardian *One of the finest historians of the age * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisThe American companion to A History of the World in 100 Objects, a fresh, visual perspective on the Civil WarFrom a soldier’s diary with the pencil still attached to John Brown’s pike, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the leaves from Abraham Lincoln’s bier, here is a unique and surprisingly intimate look at the Civil War.Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer sheds new light on the war by examining fifty objects from the New-York Historical Society’s acclaimed collection. A daguerreotype of an elderly, dignified ex-slave; a soldier’s footlocker still packed with its contents; Grant’s handwritten terms of surrender at Appomattox—the stories these objects tell are rich, poignant, sometimes painful, and always fascinating. They illuminate the conflict from all perspectives—Union and Confederate, military and civilian, black and white, male and female—and give readers a deeply human sense of the war.Trade Review“In his new book, The Civil War in 50 Objects, Harold Holzer uses pictures of a fascinating menagerie of Civil War-related items to distill what historian Eric Foner calls in his introduction a conflict that ‘permanently affected the future course of the development of the United States. Holzer handles the task with ease, showcasing the era through such artifacts as a pair of slave’s shackles sized for the wrists of a child and a copy, signed by Abraham Lincoln, of the manuscript for the 13th Amendment..”—The Washington Post “Packaged in an unusually high-quality edition, this book is the next best thing to viewing the artifacts in person or, given Holzer’s thorough explanation of the history of each object, it might be even better.”—The Seattle Times “Holzer's essays educate and entertain, folding in noteworthy asides…. Holzer pieces [the objects] together to create a compelling story of the people who lived during the bloodiest war in American history — a war that jumped the boundaries of the battlefield to spark a race riot on July 10, 1863.”—The Chicago Tribune “The Civil War in 50 Objects is a collection of deeply researched essays by the Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. Mr. Holzer examines war-era artifacts culled from the collection at the New-York Historical Society, where he is a Roger Hertog Fellow, to get at a deeper truth about the single most defining event in American history.”—New York Observer “Holzer, working through the archives of the New-York Historical Society, unearths treasures, if sometimes grim ones. Holzer’s choice of objects is spot-on, and the anecdotes they occasion are even more so, particularly when he turns to little-commemorated episodes such as the valiant charge of 14 New York dragoons against a much larger Confederate force (it did not end well for the dragoons) and the effect of the Union blockade on school primers in the South. A valuable addition to the popular literature of the Civil War, well-conceived and packaged.”—Kirkus

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Book SynopsisSick from Freedom provides the first study of the health conditions of emancipated slaves and reveals the epidemics, illnesses, and poverty that former slaves suffered from when slavery ended and freedom began.Trade ReviewSick from Freedom is a welcome corrective to the prevailing triumphalist view of emancipation, providing a much-needed perspective on its tragic epidemiological impact. * Peter McCandless, American Historical Review, *One comes away from this book with no doubt that the path out of slavery was a minefield of death and disease that needs its proper acknowledgement in histories of reconstruction. * Journal of the History of Medicine *An important challenge to our understanding of an event that scholars and laypeople alike have preferred to see as an uplifting story of newly liberated people vigorously claiming their long-denied rights. * The New York Times *A major turning point in how we understand the African-American past, the nation's past, and their intertwining. * The Journal of Interdisciplinary History *Based on extensive research, particularly in the Freedman's Bureau's Medical Division records, the book details the enormity of the public health crisis that afflicted freed people during and after the Civil War... This is revisionist history at its finest, and it deserves a wide audience. Highly recommended. * Choice *Jim Downs' exceptional research has resulted in a major study... Highly recommended. * Civil War News *Sick from Freedom is a welcome addition to the literature on the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction, medicine, and public health... [T]hought-provoking. * The Journal of American History *Sick from Freedom is beautifully written... The author dedicates this work to 'all those who were emancipated but never made it to freedom'. He honors their memories in this excellent and haunting book. * Arkansas Historical Quarterly *As Jim Downs makes clear in this carefully documented work, the Union leadership, domestic and military, was wholly unprepared to deal with the breakdown of the system of slavery that followed the Union army with every foray into southern soil... One comes away from this book with no doubt that the path out of slavery was a minefield of death and disease that needs its proper acknowledgment in histories of reconstruction. * Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences *A signal contribution to the vastly understudied question of freedpeople's health and a formidable challenge to the dominant analytical framework that has heretofore framed our understanding both of the transition from slavery to freedom in the American South and the meaning of death and dying in the era of the Civil War. It, quite simply, remaps a field. * Thavolia Glymph, Duke University *A fresh and ambitious account of the Civil War era that not only interrogates the transition from slavery to freedom in new and unsettling ways but also invites us to rethink the geographical dimensions of Reconstruction. * Steven Hahn, University of Pennsylvania *Charts new, darker, and profoundly revealing paths into the history of the American emancipation in the Civil War. In a work of medical, social, labor, and military history all at once, Downs shows that achieving freedom for American slaves was a signal triumph, but only through a horrible passage of disease, suffering and death. A 'new' history of emancipation is emerging, and Downs is one of its most talented and innovative craftsmen. * David W. Blight, author of American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era *Jim Downs paints a startling and little known portrait of African American emancipation in which struggles for health and survival must be factored alongside the political and economic history of the period. * Sharla Fett, Occidental College *Traces a shrouded chapter of American history: the mass death and medical devastation that visited African Americans in the immediate wake of legal emancipation. Downs compellingly reveals how the confluence of racial slander, government indifference, and medical malign neglect proved widely fatal, and in doing so he paints a detailed and disheartening portrait of man's inhumanity to man. * Harriet Washington, author of Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present *An important contribution to understanding the process of emancipation and the suffering so many freedpeople endured. * North Carolina Historical Review *Downs insists that understanding the scale of the medical crisis for African Americans during the war is critical to the idea of what freedom felt and looked like for those who were trying to experience it... This book reminds us that this grim portrait must be a part of any discussion of the years that messily separate African American slavery from freedom. * Bulletin of the History of Medicine *Downs' book places the Civil War in another perspective that helps the reader think critically beyond the Emancipation Proclamation ... I would highly recommend this book. * Joshua V. Chanin, The Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction ; 1. Dying to be Free: The Unexpected Medical Crises of War and Emancipation ; 2. The Anatomy of Emancipation: The Creation of a Healthy Labor Force ; 3. Freedmen's Hospitals: The Medical Division of the Freedmen's Bureau ; 4. Reconstructing an Epidemic: Smallpox among Former Slaves, 1862-1868 ; 5. The Healing Power of Labor: Dependent, Disabled, Orphaned, Elderly, and Female Freed Slaves in the Postwar South ; 6. Narrating Illness: Freedpeople's Health Claims at Reconstruction's End ; Conclusion ; Epilogue ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe era known as Reconstruction is one of the unhappiest times in American history. It succeeded in reuniting the nation politically after the Civil War but in little else. Among its chief failures was the inability to chart a progressive course for race relations after the abolition of slavery and rise of Jim Crow. Reconstruction also struggled to successfully manage the Southern resistance towards a Northern, free-labor pattern. But the failures cannot obscure a number of notable accomplishments, with decisive long-term consequences for American life: the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, the election of the first African American representatives to the US Congress, and the avoidance of any renewed outbreak of civil war. Reconstruction suffered from poor leadership and uncertainty of direction, but it also laid the groundwork for renewed struggles for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement.This Very Short Introduction delves into the constitutional, political, and social issues behind Reconstruction to provide a lucid and original account of a historical moment that left an indelible mark on American social fabric. Award-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo depicts Reconstruction as a bourgeois revolution -- as the attempted extension of the free-labor ideology embodied by Lincoln and the Republican Party to what was perceived as a Southern region gone astray from the Founders'' intention in the pursuit of Romantic aristocracy.Trade Reviewa well-organized, cogent recounting of a complex topic * William A. Link, Journal of Southern History *Reconstruction provides a judicious and full account that serves as an entry point into the subject * William A. Link, University of Florida , The Journal of Southern History *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction Ch 1: Vengeance Ch 2: Arrogance Ch 3: Alienation Ch 4: Reconciliation Ch 5: Dissension Ch 6: Law Ch 7: Withdrawal Epilogue: Reconstructions References Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman''s fight for justice--and reparations Born into slavery, Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood''s employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved throughout the Civil War, giving birth to a son in Mississippi and never forgetting who had put her in this position. By 1869, Wood had obtained her freedom for a second time and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for damages in 1870. Astonishingly, after eight years of litigation, Wood won her case: in 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500. The decision stuck on appeal. More important than the amount, though the largest ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery, was the fact that any money was awarded at all. By the time the case was decided, Ward had become a wealthy businessman and a pioneer of convict leasing in the South. Wood''s son later became a prominent Chicago lawyer, and she went on to live until 1912. McDaniel''s book is an epic tale of a black woman who survived slavery twice and who achieved more than merely a moral victory over one of her oppressors. Above all,Sweet Taste of Libertyis a portrait of an extraordinary individual as well as a searing reminder of the lessons of her story, which establish beyond question the connections between slavery and the prison system that rose in its place.Trade ReviewDeeply researched and show[s] commendable detective work... Demonstrate[s] the riches awaiting us in narrating the hitherto untold and complex stories of slavery and emancipation in the United States. * Times Literary Supplement *The reader not only follows the fascinating narrative of a woman who lost her freedom, but also learns of the intricacies of slavery in a border state like Kentucky, the pain of separation from loved ones, and the ordeals of being sold "down the river," surviving on a large cotton plantation, and being an enslaved refugee in Texas during the Civil War... It is an enlightening account from the point of view of an enslaved woman about the arduous trip — and the subsequent years — that many enslaved people were forced to endure by their masters to avoid their being liberated by Union armies... [McDaniel] has turned these into a captivating account of this period, revealing how the legal and economic aspects of the institution of slavery interacted in very personal and human ways with those who were kept enslaved. * Angela Boswell, Professor of History at Henderson State University, Southwestern Historical Quarterly *As a whole, Sweet Taste of Liberty is the fruit of excellent scholarship and a timely and significant addition to the field of U.S. racial history. * Ken Chujo, J.F. Oberlin University, Tokyo, The Journal of Southern History *Table of ContentsPrologue Part I - The Worst Slave of Them All Chapter 1: The Crossing Chapter 2: Touseytown Chapter 3: Down River Chapter 4: Ward's Return Chapter 5: Cincinnati Chapter 6: The Plan Chapter 7: The Flight Part II - Forks of the Road Chapter 8: Raising a Muss Chapter 9: Wood versus Ward Chapter 10: The Keeper Chapter 11: Natchez Chapter 12: Brandon Hall Chapter 13: Versailles Chapter 14: Revolution Chapter 15: The March Part III - The Return of Henrietta Wood Chapter 16: Arthur Chapter 17: Robertson County Chapter 18: Dawn and Doom Chapter 19: Nashville Chapter 20: A Rather Interesting Case Chapter 21: Story of a Slave Chapter 22: The Verdict Epilogue Acknowledgements Appendix: An Essay on Sources Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA provocative and propulsive look at American history, and the myth that the Civil War's "new birth of freedom" ended oligarchy. It just moved westward.Trade ReviewIt should be required reading for this particular moment in American politics. * Thomas Zimmer, The Guardian *Richardson's clear prose makes this book incredibly lively and accessible. * Joseph Angelillo, ALPATA: A Journal of History *Heather Cox Richardson, a professor of history at Boston College, explains Goldwater's crusade and the trajectory of modern conservatism in her masterful How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America. A timely book, it sheds light on what was perhaps the most important political coalition of the 20th century. * The Washington Post *Good revisionist history jars you, forces you to look at the past in a new way, and thereby transforms your view of the present. Heather Cox Richardson is a master of the genre, to the benefit of us all. Even those who take issue with her will be forced by this powerful book to come to terms with aspects of our past that we often just sweep under the rug of memory. * E.J. Dionne, Jr., author of Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country *In a tour de force, Richardson exposes the philosophical connective tissue that runs from John C. Calhoun, to Barry Goldwater, to Donald Trump. It's not party, it's a complex ideology that has swaddled white supremacy and its political, legal, economic, and physical violence in the language of freedom and rugged individualism, and, in doing so, repeatedly slashed a series of self-inflicted wounds on American democracy. * Carol Anderson, Emory University, author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy *The themes are broad and the implications mighty, but this isn't history from on high. Richardson uses a human lens to tell her tale, revealing the passions and power-plays that have sustained this battle for dominance. The end result is something rare and invaluable: a skilled work of history, deeply grounded in the past, that speaks loudly, clearly, and crucially to the present. * Joanne Freeman, Yale University, author of The Field Of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War *What the great books do is retell history in a way that creates a deepened and clarified connection between what was an what is. I love this book. For anyone seeking to understand how we got here, and where we're likely bound, this is a must-read. * Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Price of Loyalty and A Hope in the Unseen *If you want to understand this moment in American politics, here's a suggestion for you: It's the must-read book of the year. * Bill Moyers, Moyers on Democracy *Heather Cox Richardson's skill with connecting events into a cohesive narrative is on full display in this brilliant study...This book speaks to the heart of life in the United States and should be in every private, public, and school library. * Deborah M. Liles, Southwestern Historical Quarterly *... Richardson suggested that her most recent book, How the South Won the Civil War, was her "smartest". There is no doubt that it is, at the very least, her most ambitious. * Catherine McNicol Stock, Connecticut College, The Annals of Iowa *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: The Triumph of Equality Chapter Two: The Significance of the West in American History Chapter Three: Reconstructing America Chapter Four: The Search for Electoral Votes Chapter Five: The West and the South Join Forces Chapter Six: The Post World War II West 1951-1980 Chapter Seven: The Rise of Movement Conservatism Conclusion: The Nature of America

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Book SynopsisGeneral John A. Wickham, commander of the famous 101st Airborne Division in the 1970s and subsequently Army Chief of Staff, once visited Antietam battlefield. Gazing at Bloody Lane where, in 1862, several Union assaults were brutally repulsed before they finally broke through, he marveled, `You couldn''t get American soldiers today to make an attack like that.'' Why did those men risk certain death, over and over again, through countless bloody battles and four long, awful years ? Why did the conventional wisdom -- that soldiers become increasingly cynical and disillusioned as war progresses -- not hold true in the Civil War?It is to this question -- why did they fight -- that James McPherson, America''s preeminient Civil War historian, now turns his attention. He shows that, contrary to what many scholars believe, the soldiers of the Civil War remained powerfully convinced of the ideals for which they fought throughout the conflict. Motivated by duty and honor, and often by religious Trade ReviewIn For Cause and Comrades the voices of the young men of the North and South sing out to us clearly, colorfully, compellingly, telling us what it was like for them -- the battles, the camps, the cold and hunger, the fear, the boredom, the despair, the triumph. This is an extraordinary book, full of fascinating details and moving self-portraits. * The Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisFoner's famous book has been one of the most influential and successful works dealing with the factors that brought the North to fight the Civil War. Foner has now written a new introduction that puts his argument in the book into the context of contemporary scholarship.Trade Review"First-rate in every respect...[A] work of genuine distinction, and a major contribution to ante-bellum political history."--Kenneth Stampp, author of The Imperiled Union "Still the best book on the politics of the 1850's."--Norman B. Ferris, Middle Tennessee State University "It's the best book on Republican ideology there is. Foner is among the very best Americanists ever. Bravo!"--Harlow Sheidley, University of Colorado "Foner's work remains the classic treatment of the subject!'--K.M. Startip, Williams Baptist College "Excellent volume--Foner is always good anyway!"--John F. McCormack, Delaware County Community CollegeTable of ContentsThe Idea of Free Labor in Nineteenth-Century America Abbreviations Used in Footnotes and Bibliography Introduction 1. Free Labor: The Republicans and Northern Society 2. The Republican Critique of the South 3. Salmon P. Chase: The Constitution and the Slave Power 4. THe Radicals: Anti-Slavery Politics and the Moral Imperative 5. The Democratic Republicans 6. Conservatives and Moderates 7. The Republicans and Nativism 8. The Republicans and Race 9. Slavery and the Republican Ideology Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhether it was planter patriarchs struggling to maintain authority, or Jewish families coerced by Christian evangelicalism, or wives and mothers left behind to care for slaves and children, the Civil War took a terrible toll. From the bustling sidewalks of Richmond to the parched plains of the Texas frontier, from the rich Alabama black belt to the Tennessee woodlands, no corner of the South went unscathed. Through the prism of the southern family, this volume of twelve original essays provides fresh insights into this watershed in American history.Trade ReviewThe quality of work is uniformly excellent. This collection will prove useful to a wide variety of scholars. It will appeal especially to those working on the Civil War, the family, gender relations or African American studies. * Journal of American Studies *Catherine Clinton has brought together a fine collection of twelve essays exploring the diverse and multiple experiences of the war years and their legacy in the American South ... solidly researched and welcome contributions to the new social history of the Civil War. * American Studies Today *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Michael P. Johnson: Looking for Lost Kin: Efforts to Reunite Freed Families after Emancipation 2: Michelle A. Krowl: For Better of Worse: Black Families and 'the State' in Civil War Virginia 3: Donald R. Shaffer: In the Shadow of the Old Constitution: Black Civil War Veterans and the Persistence of Slave Marriage Customs 4: Amy E. Murrell: "Of Necessity and Public Benefit": Southern Families and their Appeals for Protection 5: Judith Lee Hunt: "High with Courage and Hope": The Middleton Family's Civil War 6: E. Susan Barber: "The White Wings of Eros": Courtship and Marriage in Confederate Richmond 7: Jennifer Lynn Gross: "Good Angels": Confederate Widows in Virginia 8: Daniel W. Stowell: "A Family of Women and Children": The Fains of East Tennessee during Wartime 9: Henry Walker: Power, Sex, and Gender Roles: The Transformation of an Alabama Planter Family during the Civil War 10: Lauren F. Winner: Taking up the Cross: Conversion among Black and White Jews in the Civil War South 11: Anne J. Bailey: In the Far Corner of the Confederacy: A Question of Conscience for German-Speaking Texans 12: Ted Ownby: Patriarchy in the World Where There is No Parting?: Power Relations in Confederate Heaven

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Book SynopsisClaiming more than 600,000 lives, the American Civil War had a devastating impact on countless numbers of common soldiers and civilians, even as it brought freedom to millions. This book shows how average Americans coped with despair as well as hope during this vast upheaval. A People at War brings to life the full humanity of the war''s participants, from women behind their plows to their husbands in army camps; from refugees from slavery to their former masters; from Mayflower descendants to freshly recruited Irish sailors. We discover how people confronted their own feelings about the war itself, and how they coped with emotional challenges (uncertainty, exhaustion, fear, guilt, betrayal, grief) as well as physical ones (displacement, poverty, illness, disfigurement). The book explores the violence beyond the battlefield, illuminating the sharp-edged conflicts of neighbor against neighbor, whether in guerilla warfare or urban riots. The authors travel as far west as China and as farTrade Review"Nelson and Sheriff offer a good social history of the US Civil War.... Overall, very well researched and nicely written. Highly recommended."--E.M. Thomas, CHOICE "A People at War is especially welcome because its subject cannot be overstudied and this particular examination is beautifully executed. The authors are comprehensive, wide-ranging and sensitive. The book is informative and pleasurable to read."--Ray B. Browne, Journal of American Cultures "A People at War stands out as one of the best comprehensive overviews because of its focus on the lives and experiences of ordinary civilians and soldiers. Relying upon recent social histories and extensive primary sources, the book provides a new perspective on an otherwise well-studied subject. Scholars, the public, and especially students will benefit greatly from this highly readable and fascinating volume."--Maris Vinovskis, Bentley Professor of History, University of Michigan "In 1861 Abraham Lincoln described the Civil War as 'a people's contest.' A People at War chronicles in encyclopedic detail just what that phrase meant to the millions of soldiers and their families and friends back home who experienced that bloodiest of American wars. Drawing on hundreds of books and articles that have made social history the most dynamic field of Civil War historiography in recent years, the authors bring alive the impact of the war on ordinary as well as extraordinary people."--James M. McPherson, Princeton University "I am very pleased to see someone generally succeed at a book that covers vital themes in the history of the Civil War, seamlessly integrates and builds on the best of recent scholarship--and does so with such economy and, at times, stylistic flair."--Michael Mason, Brigham Young University "An excellent, well-written, broad overview of important yet often muted facets of Civil War history. Scholars, teachers, and buffs should all enjoy this inspired work."--William Feis, The Annals of IowaTable of ContentsIntroduction: A People at War From Compromise to Chaos: 1854-1861 1. The Road to Bleeding Kansas 2. From Wigwam to War The Changing Faces of War: 1861-1863 3. Friends and Foes: Early Recruits and Freedom's Cause, 1861-1862 4. Union Occupation and Guerrilla Warfare 5. Facing Death Political, Military, and Diplomatic Remedies: 1862-1865 6. Two Governments Go to War: Southern Democracy and Northern Republicanism 7. Redefining the Rules of War: The Lieber Code 8. Diplomacy in the Shadows: Cannons, Sailors, and Spies The War Hits Home: 1861-1865 9. We Need Men: Union Struggles over Manpower 10. The Male World of the Camp: Domesticity and Discipline 11. "Cair, Anxiety, & Tryals": Life in the Wartime Union 12. War's Miseries: The Confederate Home Front Rebuilding the Nation: 1865-1877 13. A Region Reconstructed and Unreconstructed: The Postwar South 14. A Nation Stitched Together: Westward Expansion and the Peace Treaty of 1877 Acknowledgements Political Chronology Military Chronology Suggestions for Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe first full account of Whitman's Civil War years sheds new light on the man, his poetry, and the treatment of the war's sick and wounded.Trade ReviewIn this first full account of Whitman's Civil War years, Morris leaves readers with a new image of what he calls `a great mothering sort of man' who visited the hospitals in and around Washington, D.C. for three years, bringing his charges ice cream, tobacco, brandy, books, magazines, pens, and paper; he wrote letters for those who could not, and more than a few died in his arms.--Library JournalA thrilling narrative told with empathy and vast learning, rich with images that reinvigorate figures as familiar as Lincoln.--The New York Tiems Book ReviewMorris's skills as a researcher are evident and his writing is first rate. Teens can read Better Angel as a moving introduction to Whitman, for its information on the home front and the medical profession during the Civil War, or to gain insight into the sociological and psychological aftermath of the war on individuals or nations.--School LibraryBrillantly researched and written, Morris' book gives a full account of poet Walt Whitman's profoundly transformative Civil War years. Through his tireless tending of the sick and wounded, Whitman found his true, compassionate poetic voice, and Morris' examination is an invaluable addition to Whitman scholarship.--ETC, Etcetera MagazineThe Better Angel illuminates Walt Whitman's Civil War years with frankness and compassion. Its insights and compelling narrative afford us new and humanly rich understandings of the poet and his vision of America.-- Robert H. Abzug, author of Cosmos Crumbling: American Reform and the Religious Imagination and Inside the Vicious Heart: Americans and the Liberation of Nazi Concentration CampsRoy Morris, Jr.'s elegant and moving book shows how the great civil war that redeemed the nation's soul also reawakened the soul of the nation's greatest poet, Walt Whitman. It is essential reading for everyone who cares about American culture.-- Sean Wilentz, Princeton University, author of Chants Democratic and The Kingdom of MatthiasThis deftly written, almost unbearably moving book serves us to remind us powerfully of the horrors faced by the wounded on the Civil War battlefields, of the genius and compassion of Walt Whitman in dealing with them, and of the remarkable skill of one of America's most accomplished biographers in researching and telling so poignant a story.--Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and The MadmanThis pathbreaking study of Whitman's Civil War years reveals more facts--and a greater understanding--of the man than the vain, foppish poet-nurse that too many writers have sought to create.--James I. Robertson, Jr., author of Stonewall JacksonA particularly thorough and informative account of the poet's activities during the Civil War.--The Boston Book ReviewMorris brings us in for a close, often harrowing look at the poet in a moment of national and personal crisis. He follows Whitman's descent into hell and reveals how the lifeblood of a nation of young men revitalized and reinvented the 'Good Gay Poet'--Out MagazineThe Civil War years were transformative for Walt Whitman, leading him to a new, more direct poetic style. In The Better Anger, acclaimed biographer Roy Morris Jr. presents the first full account of this period in Whitman's life.--Inside BordersA thrilling narrative told with empathy and vast learning, rich with images that reinvigorate figures as familiar as Lincoln.--The New York Times Book Review, Books in Brief

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Book SynopsisThe first short biography of the sixteenth president by America''s preeminent Civil War historian, Abraham Lincoln follows the son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks from their Kentucky farm to the Illinois legislature, and finally the nation''s capitol. February of 2009 marks the bicentennial of his birth and this book will be a compact, concise history of a man with big ideals and an even larger legacy. James McPherson, our country''s foremost historian of the Civil War, authors this attractively packaged book on Lincoln for an audience that would prefer a brief treament rather than David Herbert Donald''s 720-page opus, or Michael Burlingame''s forthcoming multi-volume work.Trade ReviewElegant * Financial Times *...this is an excellent account of the immense challenges Lincoln faced and the remarkable skill he brought to his task. * Dan Danbom, Rocky Mountain News *

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Book SynopsisOnly the Clothes on Her Back illuminates the ways in which women, men of color, and poor people used textiles as a form of property that enabled them to gain access to the legal system and to exercise political power.Trade ReviewOnly the Clothes on Her Back is an illuminating book-one likely to refashion our understanidng of American economic, legal, material and social history. * Eva Sheppard Wolf, Journal of Southern History *Reading Only the Clothes on Her Back is a unique experience because Edwards (Princeton Univ.) makes economic history enjoyable...Edwards has written an analysis of aspects of fabrics that this reviewer did not know existed and written it very well indeed. * Choice *A masterpiece....well-written, deeply thought-provoking....Edwards has clearly poured her expertise into this account of the history of textiles in the USA and their unique legal standing. Using elements of microhistory, Edwards presents detailed case studies to cement her argument and emphasizes the importance of garments to women who otherwise had little to no legal standing. Marginalized people, largely women and slaves, could own textiles, trade them, and expect courts to maintain their claim to the items.... Edwards teases out the strands of this tangled web of textile history and excellently portrays the connection between fabric and burgeoning globalization....While focusing almost entirely on the USA, the global nature of the subject makes excellent reading for historians of all nations. * Caroline M. McWilliams, Twentieth Century British History *Reading Only the Clothes on Her Back is a unique experience because Edwards makes economic history enjoyable. Looking at the implications of women's roles in cloth production, she argues that textiles and finished garments constituted a rare commodity that even married women, unmarried daughters, and/or enslaved women controlled apart from their husbands and masters. Each chapter begins with a well-researched anecdote about some aspect of the trade, which does double duty, imbuing what otherwise might be just dry facts with humanity and also infusing the book with humor—the stories are often hilarious....Edwards has written an analysis of aspects of fabrics that this reviewer did not know existed and written it very well indeed. Highly recommended. General readers through faculty. * Choice *Laura Edwards has produced a masterpiece that forever changes how we see the nineteenth century's ubiquitous textiles and the women who worked, stole, hoarded and wore them. Only a scholar like Edwards, with insights that go beyond conventional notions of property and ownership, could recover the astonishing stories about how those without rights still exercised legal dominion over fabric and their economic lives. Only the Clothes on Her Back smartly debunks simple cultural truisms about women and their adornments, revealing how ordinary Americans, even those marginalized in public law, connected to global markets and remade those forces by their own terms in the local courthouses of the early Republic. * Martha S. Jones, author of Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America *With elegance, creativity, and a fitting touch of wit, Laura Edwards unfolds the world of early American textiles in this brilliantly original study of gender, race, material exchange, and the law. The seemingly small arena of gowns, sheets, and hosiery as revealed through her careful research proves massively impactful to those who were marginalized by society as well as to merchants and manufacturers. While enslaved people, free Blacks, and white women could not claim personal rights, they could and did own all manner of fabrics, which they saved, traded, and defended in a complex legal culture that defies our modern expectations but would not last. The Clothes on Her Back transforms our understanding not only of lace, looms, and law, but also of nineteenth-century American lives. * Tiya Miles, author of All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake *In Only the Clothes on Her Back, Laura Edwards combines daunting archival research with a brilliant synthesis of generations of scholarship to put women, both Black and white, at the heart of American legal and economic history between the Revolution and the Civil War. Laced with wit, and knitting race, class, and gender into a seamless fabric, Edwards poignantly and powerfully brings home what was gained and lost when America became 'a nation of rights.' * Dylan C. Penningroth, University of California, Berkeley *In this revelatory book, Laura Edwards explains the extraordinary significance that textiles once held in the American economy and legal system. A book of scrupulous research and a profoundly revisionist account of the workings of property, gender and the law in America between the Revolution and the 1860s. * Deborah Cohen, Northwestern University *In Only the Clothes on Her Back, Edwards has addressed an important but underexplored aspect of nineteenth-century economic life. She reveals the ways in which textiles shaped, and were shaped by, people at the margins of economic and legal culture in America. She shows how clothing can be a useful and generative lens through which to understand law and power in the nineteenth century. Edwards's triumph is that she has shown through her deft and incisive analysis that textiles influenced much more than the clothes that people wore. Instead, textiles shaped the very nature of law and economy during the nineteenth century. * Justene Hill Edwards, H-Diplo *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Elizabeth's and Caty's Failed Escapes: The Materials of Legal Meaning Part One: Old Clothes in a New Country Chapter 1: Polly's Yarn: Legal Principles Chapter 2: Roger Taney's Long Underwear: Federalism Chapter 3: Mr. Robinson's Failure: Merchants Chapter 4: Rebecca Coles's Factory: Manufacturers Part Two: Protective Coverings in a Hostile World Chapter 5: The Prison Society's Problem: Currency Chapter 6: Jane Cooley's Loom: Capital Chapter 7: Margaret Ten Eyck's Accounts: Credit Chapter 8: Eliza Cauchois's Shift: Exchange Part Three: Rags Chapter 9: Sarah Allingham's Sheet: Enforcement Chapter 10: Catherine Brennan's Haul: Criminality Chapter 11: Charles Lohman's Silk Dresses: Suppression Chapter 12: Mrs. Harris's Marriage: Erasure Conclusion: Mary Todd Lincoln's Old Clothes: Just Material Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn America''s collective unconscious, the Haudenosaunee, known to many as the Iroquois, are viewed as an indelible part of New York''s modern and democratic culture. From the Iroquois confederacy serving as a model for the US Constitution, to the connections between the matrilineal Iroquois and the woman suffrage movement, to the living legacy of the famous Sky Walkers, the steelworkers who built the Empire State Building and the George Washington Bridge, the Iroquois are viewed as an exceptional people who helped make the state''s history unique and forward-looking. John C. Winters contends that this vision was not manufactured by Anglo-Americans but was created and spread by an influential, multi-generational Seneca-Iroquois family. From the American Revolution to the Cold War, Red Jacket, Ely S. Parker, Harriet Maxwell Converse (adopted), and Arthur C. Parker used the tools of a colonial culture to shape aspects of contemporary New York culture in their own peoples'' image. The result was the creation of The Amazing Iroquois, an historical memory that entangled indigenous self-definition, colonial expectations about racial stereotypes and Native American politics, and the personalities of the people who cultivated and popularized that memory. Through the imperial politics of the eighteenth century to pioneering museum exhibitions of the twentieth, these four Seneca celebrities packaged and delivered Iroquoian stories to the broader public in defiance of the contemporary racial stereotypes and settler colonial politics that sought to bury them. Owing to their skill, fame, and the timely intervention of Iroquois leadership, this remarkable family showcases the lasting effects of indigenous agents who fashioned a popular and long-lasting historical memory that made the Iroquois an obvious and foundational part of New Yorkers'' conception of their own exceptional state history and self-identity.Trade ReviewIn this fascinating and provocative study, Winters demonstrates the crucial role of Iroquois people in shaping the popular perception of their own history through a carefully curated array of interpretive techniques related to the broader American public. From approximately 1800 to 1950, four different Seneca individuals assumed leading roles in promoting an image of the Iroquois as an 'exceptional' Indigenous nation by aligning key aspects of their culture with mainstream American values such as democracy, patriotism, and the women's rights movement. * Jon W. Parmenter, Cornell University *Via extensive biographical sketches of prominent Senecas across the centuries, from Red Jacket to Arthur C. Parker, Winters examines the myth of the Iroquois, composed by white chroniclers in an elegiac fashion that would ultimately glorify the Empire State and an imperial United States. But in a revealing twist, Winters perceptively recovers the role of those 'Amazing Iroquois' themselves in affecting the composition and content of that saga, which Seneca actors partially ventriloquized to suggest they were as exceptional as the country itself and fundamental to its history. * Matthew Dennis, author of Seneca Possessed: Indians, Witchcraft, and Power in the Early American Republic *In this lively and engaging new book, historian John C. Winters tells the story of the 'Amazing Iroquois' across three centuries by focusing on four individuals born (or adopted) into Seneca communities at the League's 'Western Door.' Winters tells his story with economy and style. Experienced scholars and non-experts will find much of value in this well-written volume. * Michael Leroy Oberg, SUNY Geneseo *A timely publication for Haudenosaunee Studies, John Winters's book is a thorough study of the history and memory of 'Iroquois exceptionalism' throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Winters shows how the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) contributed to history, social sciences, museum studies, politics, art, and the American story. He brings honor and respect to the personalities he spends time with in this book. As a result, I feel like I know my intellectual ancestors much better than I did before. * Joe Stahlman, Onöhsagwë:de' Cultural Center, Seneca-Iroquois National Museum *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: "The Amazing Iroquois" in Myth and Memory Chapter 1: Red Jacket, a "Poet Among Politicians" Chapter 2: Ely S. Parker, the "Last Grand Sachem" Chapter 3: Harriet Maxwell Converse, "The Woman Who Works for the Indians" Chapter 4: Arthur C. Parker and "The Amazing Iroquois" Conclusion: The Peace Medal Comes Home Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBehemoth is Thomas Hobbes''s narrative of the English Civil Wars from the beginning of the Scottish revolution in 1637 to the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, and is his only composition to address directly the history of the events which formed the context of his writings in Leviathan and elsewhere on sovereignty and the government of the Church. Although presented as an account of past events, it conceals a vigorous attack on the values of the religious and political establishment of Restoration England. This is the first fully scholarly edition of the work, and the first new edition of the text since 1889. Based on Hobbes''s own presentation manuscript, it includes for the first time an accurate transcription of the passages which Hobbes had deleted in the text, and notes made by early readers.Trade Review[Seaward's] edition compares to the standard Töennies edition rather as a colour television compares to black and white ... Seaward's Behemoth fulfils the promise of the Clarendon series - under Noel Malcolm's leadership - to give readers the scholarly editions which the texts deserve. * Deborah Baumgold, English Historical Review *Paul Seaward has produced a major piece of scholarship ... to those who have been captivated by this multi-faceted book for a long time, it comes as a blessing. * Luc Borot, Hobbes Studies *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations ; List of Illustrations ; General Introduction ; Textual Introduction ; 1. To the Right Honourable Sr. Henry Bennet Baron of Arlington ; 2. First Dialogue ; 3. Second Dialogue ; 4. Third Dialogue ; 5. Fourth Dialogue ; Register of variants ; Appendix: Readers' notes in early copies of Behemoth

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Book SynopsisTurncoats and Renegadoes is the first dedicated study of the practice of changing sides during the English Civil Wars. It examines the extent and significance of side-changing in England and Wales but also includes comparative material from Scotland and Ireland. The first half identifies side-changers among peers, MPs, army officers, and common soldiers, before reconstructing the chronological and regional patterns to their defections. The second half delivers a cultural history of treachery, by adopting a thematic approach to explore the social and cultural implications of defections, and demonstrating how notions of what constituted a turncoat were culturally constructed. Side-changing came to dominate strategy on both sides at the highest levels. Both sides reviled, yet sought to take advantage of the practice, whilst allegations of treachery came to dominate the internal politics of royalists and parliamentarians alike. The language applied to ''turncoats and renegadoes'' in contemTrade ReviewBased on impressive and wide-ranging research in national and local archives in the United Kingdom and in the Folger and Yale University Libraries in the United States, this is the first full-length study of its subject and its significance for the course, and ultimate outcome, of the English Revolution. * R.C. Richardson, Clio *a thoroughly researched study of changing sides during the Civil Wars. ... a very original and stimulating study. * Northern History *Hoppers thoughtful book is a useful addition to those crowded student reading lists, but it needs to be read beside other studies. * Anthony Fletcher, The Journal of the Historical Association, *Hopper's book provides a very useful examination of the choosing of sides in the first place. ... We owe Hopper a great deal for bringing their justifications before us in so well analysed a manner. * Martyn Bennet, War in History *a significant and lively contribution * Ronald Hutton, English Historical Review *Table of ContentsPART I: A PROFILE OF SIDE-CHANGING IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 1642-1646 ; PART II: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF SIDE-CHANGING

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Book SynopsisThe second son of a modest gentry family, John Lilburne was accused of treason four times, and put on trial for his life under both Charles I and Oliver Cromwell. He fought bravely in the Civil War, seeing action at a number of key battles and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, was shot through the arm, and nearly lost an eye in a pike accident. In the course of all this, he fought important legal battles for the rights to remain silent, to open trial, and to trial by his peers. He was twice acquitted by juries in very public trials, but nonetheless spent the bulk of his adult life in prison or exile. He is best known, however, as the most prominent of the Levellers, who campaigned for a government based on popular sovereignty two centuries before the advent of mass representative democracies in Europe.Michael Braddick explores the extraordinary and dramatic life of ''Freeborn John'': how his experience of political activism sharpened and clarified his ideas, leading him to artiTrade ReviewThis is a first rate historical work that transcends its biographical framework and successfully draws readers into the larger political, religious, and intellectual issues of the English Revolution. * Gary S. De Krey, Journal of Modern History *Braddick's "political life" of Lilburne is...well worth reading. * Jon Fitzgibbons, The Seventeenth Century *Braddick presents Lilburne as an activist rather than a political thinker, as primarily concerned with tactics and political mobilization. Lilburne's ideas are interesting but, his real significance and legacy - Braddick suggests - are in the realm of political practice * Rachel Hammersley, The Times Literary Supplement *[The Common Freedom of the People] is a triumph of sympathetic biographical writing, without succumbing to the biographer's trap of sticking up for everything his subject did or stood for. * David Horspool, The Spectator *[An] excellent new biography ... Braddick is able to introduce the reader very succinctly and clearly to the wider context in which Lilburne's ideas were formed. This is no mean feat given the complexity and rapidity of the political changes of the period. * Edward Vallance, Literary Review *Clear and accessible, wise and measured ... The Common Freedom of the People is an important book. * Kwasi Kwarteng, The Sunday Times *[A] commanding and enlivening new biography. * Blair Worden, London Review of Books *Braddick provides a richly analysed context for Lilburne's public battles against the misuse of power. Yet, while admiring Lilburne's personal conviction and courage, Braddick rightly warns against seeing him as a modern reformer ... he depicts Lilburne as a man of principle, willing to sacrifice family life to battle justice for the greater good of England. * Jackie Eales, History Today *This political life [provides] a vivid portrait of both the man and his age. * Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education *Braddick tells the story of Lilburnes struggles expertly, fluently and well. Lilburnes life was truly action-packed but Braddick resists the temptation to sensationalise. * Russell Harris QC, Counsel *John Lilburme was a polemicist and martyr unafraid to speak truth to power. Michael Braddick's masterly political biography offers an exciting new reading of the significance of his career as a political activist, and of his lasting legacy on both sides of the Atlantic. * John Walter, Emeritus Professor, University of Essex *A comprehensive political life [of Lilburne] by one of this generations most distinguished and productive historians of the English Revolution... meticulously researched and unlikely to be exceeded in its recovery of many aspects of Lilburne's life... * J.C. Davis, Journal of the Northern Renaissance *Table of ContentsPreface1: Apprentice, 1632-16402: Soldier, 1640-16453: Partisan, 1645-16464: Leveller, 1647-16495: Traitor, 16496: Citizen, 1649-16527: Exile, 1653-16578: John Lilburne and the English RevolutionNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisWhen the British monarchy was restored in 1660, King Charles II was faced with the conundrum of what to with those who had been involved in the execution of his father eleven years earlier. Facing a grisly fate at the gallows, some of the men who had signed Charles I''s death warrant fled to America. Charles I''s Killers in America traces the gripping story of two of these men-Edward Whalley and William Goffe-and their lives in America, from their welcome in New England until their deaths there. With fascinating insights into the governance of the American colonies in the seventeenth century, and how a network of colonists protected the regicides, Matthew Jenkinson overturns the enduring theory that Charles II unrelentingly sought revenge for the murder of his father. Charles I''s Killers in America also illuminates the regicides'' afterlives, with conclusions that have far-reaching implications for our understanding of Anglo-American political and cultural relations. Novels, historiesTrade Review...well researched and well crafted * John Coffey, University of Leicester, Milton Quarterly *A delightful read * Colin Kidd, The Guardian *The book's forte is its careful analysis of the available material and the patient exposure of its frustrating inadequacies. * Andrew Taylor, The Times *Intriguing account. * Philip Terzian, The Wall Street Journal *Jenkinson's work ... offers a refreshing corrective to recent popular accounts, which have tended to rehearse the now familiar story of the dramatic pursuit of these 'king killers' across the wilds of New England by Royalist bounty hunters ... The picture presented by Jenkinson of the increasingly cloistered existence endured by two ageing revolutionaries wracked with spiritual doubt may make for poorer fiction but is certainly the stuff of excellent history. * Edward Vallance, Literary Review *Exhaustive research and penetrating analysis. * James Baresel, HistoryNet *A lively and engaging account of two of the regicides who fled to New England and how they subsequently came to be remembered and mythologized in eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century America. Drawing on a wide range of both historical and fictional sources (including novels, plays, and visual art), this fascinating study reveals the crucial role that the subsequent refashioning of the story of the regicides played in forging a nascent American national identity. * Tim Harris, Munro-Goodwin-Wilkinson Professor in European History, Brown University *Table of ContentsPART I: Lives 1: Introduction 2: Regicides on the Run I: Gravesend to Milford 3: Regicides on the Run II: Milford to Hartford PART II. Afterlives 4: Thomas Hutchinson and the Regicides' Rediscovery 5: Ezra Stiles, the Regicides, and the American Revolution 6: The Spirit of the Regicides, Liberty, and American National Identity 7: The Regicides' Revival, Rise, and Decline 8: Conclusion Appendix I - Dramatis Personaw Appendix II - Timeline of the Movements of Whalley and Goffe Appendix III - The Diary of William Goffe Appendix IV - The (Dis)appearance of John Dixwell Bibliography Notes Index

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