Civil wars Books

Book SynopsisAt once an informed overview for general-interest readers and a superb resource for serious buffs, this extraordinary, gloriously illustrated volume is sure to become one of the fundamental books in any Civil War library. Its features include a dramatic narrative packed with eyewitness accounts and hundreds of rare photographs, artifacts, and period illustrations. Evocative sidebars, detailed maps, and timelines add to the reference-ready quality of the text. From John Brown's raid to Reconstruction, Eyewitness to the Civil War presents a clear, comprehensive discussion that addresses every military, political, and social aspect of this crucial period. In-depth descriptions of campaigns and battles in all theaters of war are accompanied by a thorough evaluation of the nonmilitary elements of the struggle between North and South. In their own words, commanders and common soldiers in both armies tell of life on the battlefield and behind the lines, while letters from wives

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Book SynopsisSounding Forth the Trumpet brings to life one of the most crucial epochs in America's history--the events leading up to and precipitating the Civil War.

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Book SynopsisIntegrating the most recent Civil War scholarship with little-known primary sources and new information from Pennsylvania and Virginia to Illinois and Iowa, Lehman and Nolt provide the definitive account of the Anabaptist experience during the bloodiest war in American history.Trade ReviewI found this book fascinating. It is an easy read, with lots of arresting stories of faith under test. Its amazingly thorough research, which comes through on every page, makes the book convincing. -- Al Keim Shenandoah Mennonite Historian 2007 Mennonites, Amish, and the American Civil War is well worth exploring. -- Jack Brubaker Lancaster New Era 2007 Fascinating even to the lay reader. -- Marcia Fulmer Truth (Elkhart) 2007 A valuable book that gives Brethren a source to turn to when considering the experiences of our own spiritual ancestors. -- James L. Benedict Brethren Life and Thought 2007 Enriches our understanding of the impact of the Civil War on Mennonites and Amish, and on American religious groups in general. In addition, the authors have enhanced our knowledge of the influence that religion had on the war. -- Thomas F. Curran Journal of American History 2008 By highlighting the struggles of these religious outsiders who strived to keep the church distinct from the world, Lehman and Nolt have produced an insightful study that further elucidates the centrality of religion for a proper understanding of the Civil War. -- Sean A. Scott Ohio History 2009 Civil War scholars can learn much from this book. -- Stephen Towne Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 2009 In this well-written and researched volume, Lehman and Nolt offer a much-needed analysis of the Mennonite and Amish experience of the Civil War. -- Jennifer Graber Mennonite Quarterly Review Mennonites, Amish, and the American Civil War is solid... the research is meticulous and admirable. -- Edward J. Blum Church History 2008 Mennonites, Amish, and the American Civil War should attract the attention of both serious religious scholars and anyone else interested in gaining a better understanding of the Anabaptists' wartime experience. -- David W. Rolfs Journal of Illinois History 2008 Lehman and Nolt have produced a valuable study that reminds scholars of, and would demonstrate for students of the Civil War or religious history, the religious pluralism in the nation and, to a lesser degree, in the South. -- James H. Tuten Journal of Southern History 2009 An impressive work in every way: gracefully written, broadly researched, careful and measured in its conclusions. It is likely to become the definitive work on its subject. -- Thomas D. Hamm Indiana Magazine of History 2008 In this fascinating study, Lehman and Nolt perform a miraculous feat: they find a small unexplored backwater in the immense sea of literature on the American Civil War. -- Perry Bush Michigan Historical Review 2009 A fascinating book... wonderfully written, flows well and offers fresh information and a new perspective on the home front in the Civil War that is rarely (if ever) covered in other works. -- Scott L. Mingus York Sunday News 2009 Without question, this work by Lehman and Nolt should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in 'peace churches,' or pacifists, regardless of the time period. -- Rev. Dr. David McDonald Federation of Genealogical SocietiesTable of ContentsList of Tables and MapsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Religion, Religious Minorities, and the American Civil War1. Politics and Peoplehood in a Restless Republic2. Our Country Is at War3. Conscription, Combat, and Virginia's "War of Self-Defense"4. Negotiation and Notoriety in Pennsylvania5. Patterns of Peace and Patriotism in the Midwest6. The Fighting Comes North7. Thaddeus Stevens and Pennsylvania Mennonite Politics8. Did Jesus Christ Teach Men to War?9. Resistance and Revenge in Virginia10. Burning the Shenandoah Valley11. Reconstructed Nation, Reconstructed PeoplehoodAppendixesA. The Sonnenberg PetitionB. Mennonites Identified on Roll of ExemptionsList of AbbreviationsNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisAn analysis of West Point’s development of military science curriculum in the first half of the nineteenth century and its effect on preparations for, and conduct of, the Civil War.Trade Review"Hope has written a book that will stand the test of time as the definitive treatise of the development of a professional American army."—Robert Grandchamp, Blue & Gray Magazine"Hope has persuasively challenged the standard narrative about West Point, the "Old Army," and the evolution of American military doctrine. Scholars whose work involves these topics cannot afford to overlook this book."—Rob Andrew Jr., American Historical Review"This book is remarkably researched and cogently written, and it will make itself invaluable in the understanding of both the antebellum army and its officers' education."—Bradford Wineman, Journal of Southern History"In A Scientific Way of War: Antebellum Military Science, West Point, and the Origins of American Military Thought, Hope demonstrates that the science of military thought and theory during this period was about much more than simply preparing for and waging continental war."—Andrew J. Ziebell, Army History"A well-researched and well-written contribution to the early development of American military thought. Readers who are interested in West Point and the essential role that its graduates played in both the Mexican and Civil Wars will find the book to be especially interesting."—Roger Cunningham, Journal of America's Military Past"A Scientific Way of War will appeal to both professionals and lay persons with a serious interest in the US Army, its premier professional Academy, nineteenth-century American defense policy, the nature of a particular national approach to military theory and doctrine, and the professionalization of the American armed forces."—Richard Swain, Michigan War Studies Review“A detailed, thoughtful, and provocative explanation of the evolution of the U.S. Army’s understanding of military science and why this scientific view of war was so important in the nation’s military history and to the conduct of the Civil War.”—Brian McAllister Linn, Ralph R. Thomas Professor in Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University and author of The Echo of Battle: The Army’s Way of War“Truly original. . . . No other scholar has so successfully explained what Americans understood by the phrase ‘military science’ as taught—and modified over time—at West Point, and how that doctrine related to the nation’s geographic position, quest for internal development, and preparation for and perceptions of war.”—Peter Maslowski, professor emeritus of history at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and author of Looking for a Hero: Joe Ronnie Hooper and the Vietnam War "Highly recommended to any reader interested in the early development of the U.S. army."—Civil War Books and Authors“[Ian Hope’s] keen insights and original interpretations come through clearly in his new book, A Scientific Way of War. His penetrating analyses revolutionize our understanding of American military thinking in the antebellum era. This book is required reading for anyone who would understand generalship and high command in the American Civil War.”—Richard J. Sommers, senior historian emeritus, U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, U.S. Army War CollegeTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Colonial and Early National Military Science2. Army Reforms, 1815–18203. West Point’s Scientific Curriculum4. Internal Improvements5. Jacksonian Military Science6. Military Science during and after the Mexican War7. Antebellum Military Science8. Military Science in the Civil WarConclusionAppendix A. West Point CurriculaAppendix B. Antebellum and Civil War Officer StatisticsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisFor a half century, John Ellis Wool (1784-1869) was one of America's most illustrious figures - most notably as an officer in the US Army during the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. Courage Above All Things marks the first full biography of Wool.

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Book SynopsisJim Bridger was a mountain man of the American West, straddling the fur trade era and the age of exploration, and lived the life legends are made of. His adventures are fit for remaking into the tall tales he himself liked to tell. In a biography that gives Bridger his due, Jerry Enzler takes this frontiersman's full measure for the first time.

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Book SynopsisThrough letters, personal accounts of the men, and other sources, author Joseph C. Fitzharris recounts how the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, prisoners of war, broken in spirit and morale, went home and found redemption and renewed purpose fighting the Dakota Indians.

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Book SynopsisA mountain man of the American West, straddling the fur trade era and the age of exploration, Jim Bridger lived the life legends are made of. His adventures are fit for remaking into the tall tales Bridger liked to tell. In a biography that gives this outsize character his due, Jerry Enzler takes this frontiersman’s full measure for the first time.Trade Review“Jim Bridger has tapped sources uncovered since the publication of earlier biographies. It is an engrossing story of the life of one of the greatest “Mountain Men”, when all is considered – and the most able scout and guide. It is full of details, excitement, and the history of the period: the fur trade, the army and Indian conflicts, the places [Bridger] discovered, including Utah’s Great Salt Lak, the new trails found in this new age of exploration and so on…Jerry Enzler’s book provides the minutiae and vast range of Bridger’s life and if there is at some places a eulogistic element then this is very much in harmony with a sincere appreciation of the man.” —English Westerners Society“Jim Bridger’s story is as big as the West he called his home, and now we have a biography that captures all the nooks and crannies, nuances and tales of Bridger. Just as Bridger left no area unexplored, biographer Jerry Enzler has left no stone unturned in writing Bridger’s life story. This is a remarkable book about a remarkable man.”—Candy Moulton, author of The Mormon Handcart Migration: “Tounge nor pen can never tell the sorrow”“Jim Bridger’s is an exciting and significant story, and Jerry Enzler tells it in exceptionally well documented detail and readable prose. Enzler sets forth new dimensions of Bridger, never before published. This is lasting biography at its best.”—Robert M. Utley, author of After Lewis and Clark: Mountain Men and the Paths to the Pacific“In the most reliable, best-researched, and most comprehensive biography of this western trailblazer, mountain man, army guide, and fort operator, Enzler offers readers a valuable reinterpretation of Bridger’s remarkable life.”—Jay H. Buckley, author of William Clark: Indian Diplomat“..it is biographies like Jim Bridger by Iowa historian Enzler that we need more of on our shelves and in the university catalogues…For scholars, researchers and buffs of the history of the mountain men who helped shape the West, Enzler’s Jim Bridger is one of best biographies published in recent years. His literary style is highly readable, he provides a clear and detailed path to understanding his research and conclusions through his annotated endnotes and a thorough bibliography…Will this be Enzler’s only foray into mountain man history? Let’s hope not. He is an excellent biographer and historian, and we would all benefit from more books from the Iowa author.”—True West Magazine“This volume is now the most extensive of Bridger biographies. It reads easily, provides new information on Bridger as trapper and guide, and reveals a good deal about his ambition, energy, and memory. Altogether a delightful read.”—Oregon Historical Quarterly“Enzler leaves the reader with an appreciation of just how remarkable Bridger’s life was in the development of the American West.”—Overland Journal “Jerry Enzler has produced a solid, reliable, sympathetic, and quite readable cradle-to-grave and life-and times biography of the legendary frontiersman and American original, Jim Bridger.”—Missouri Historical Review“An extensive and definitive biography of Jim Bridger, a character almost larger than life in his time, is long overdue. Jerry Enzler has provided us with the next chapter in scholarship about the early fur trade era. This book deserves a place on the bookshelf of all those interested in an exciting period in American history.”—Nebraska History

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Book SynopsisA controversial character largely known as a Union colonel who led Black soldiers in the Civil War, James Montgomery (1814-71) waged a far more personal and radical war against slavery than popular history suggests. It is the true story of this militant abolitionist that Todd Mildfelt and David Schafer tell in this volume.Trade Review“In this carefully researched and crafted biography of James Montgomery, the authors tell the story of an often-overlooked Kansas Jayhawker: a curious blend of God-fearing pioneer farmer and preacher who became an anti-slavery zealot on the Kansas-Missouri border and a celebrated commander of Black troops during the Civil War. Montgomery’s life was momentous and worthy of the attention it is now receiving.” - Virgil W. Dean, editor of Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains (1990–2011)“Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind illuminates the life of this controversial character, charting James Montgomery’s evolution into a full-fledged abolitionist on the prairies of Kansas and leader of an all-Black regiment during the Civil War. Thanks to the authors’ diligent research, Montgomery’s story is now situated within the broader context of resistance to slavery.” - Kristen Epps, author of Slavery on the Periphery: The Kansas-Missouri Border in the Antebellum and Civil War Eras“This well-researched book vividly re-creates the tumultuous life and times of James Montgomery, a genuine firebrand who helped precipitate and radicalize the American Civil War. We see the guerrilla chieftain in prewar clashes against pro-slavery terrorists along the Kansas-Missouri border transform into the Union colonel who recruited Black soldiers and then led them in combat and raids that laid waste to stately Southern plantations and brought freedom to the enslaved. Abolitionist of the Most Dangerous Kind peels away layers of myth and introduces us to a driven and courageous man.” - Gregory J. W. Urwin, author of Victory in Defeat: The Wake Island Defenders in Captivity, 1941–1945

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Book SynopsisFrom the first passage in William C. Davis' book about “the twilight of America's innocence” to the last, the reader is carried through what many in the 1860s believed would be the only major conflict between North and South.

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Book SynopsisThe story of General Price - as this account by Albert Castle shows - is the story, in large part, of the Confederacy's struggle in the West. The author draws a fascinating portrait of Price the man - vain, courageous, addicted to secrecy - and produces insightful interpretations and much pertinent information about the Civil War in the West.

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Book SynopsisExamines the 111 artillery, cavalry, and infantry units that Louisiana furnished to the Confederate armies. No other reference has the complete and accurate record of Louisiana's contribution to the war. For each unit, Bergeron provides a brief account of its war activities, including battles, losses, and dates of important events.

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Book SynopsisSimilar in scope to H.H. Cunningham's Doctors in Gray, George Worthington Adams' Doctors in Blue, originally published more than forty years ago and now available for the first time in paperback, remains the definitive work on the medical history of the Union army.

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Book SynopsisThe contributions of more than 600 Catholic nuns to the care of Confederate and Union sick and wounded made a critical impact upon 19th-century America. This text covers this era in detail, describing the suspicion and prejudice, suffering and self-sacrifice, ingenuity, benificence, and gratitude.

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Book SynopsisMost of the Civil War was fought on Southern soil. The responsibility for defending the Confederacy rested with two great military forces. One of these armies defended the “heartland” of the Confederacy - a vital area which embraced Tennessee and portions of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Kentucky. This is the story of that army.

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Book SynopsisOffers eight case studies that illuminate the critical roles the Union corps commanders played in shaping the US Civil War's course and outcome. The contributors examine widespread assumptions about these men while considering the array of internal and external forces that shaped their efforts on and off the battlefield.

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Book SynopsisIn this commanding study, Scott Mingus, Sr, offers the first significant detailed exploration of the Louisiana Tigers during the entirety of the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign.

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