Best/Favorite Civil War Magazines?

R. Evans

Sergeant
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Location
Salem, Ohio
I've recently started buying a few copies of the various Civil War magazines that show up at the local Barnes & Noble and was wondering which one do you guys/gals consider the best of them. I've gotten a few issues each of America's Civil War, Civil War Times, North & South and the Civil War Monitor. The first 3 are bi-monthly and the last is a quarterly. These are the only ones I've seen, are there more? With limited funds, I was thinking of getting a subscription to one or two of them and any recommendations would be very appreciated.
 
I subscribe to Blue & Gray. They pick a battle and give pretty extensive research into it. Last issue was on Chattanooga. Blue & Gray comes out every 3 months and I think I paid $25 for a year's subscription. I've read Civil War Times in the past and liked it also. But for me Blue & Gray is the better of the two. I haven't read North & South or Civil War Monitor.
 
I have gotten a few Blue And Gray. A friend of mine gets it and shares copies with friends.

I do enjoy the United Daughters of the Confederacy magazine. Of course you have to belong to the UDC to get it.
 
I have an affiliation with the Civil War Monitor, so I'm biased. It's a relatively new magazine, (first issue Fall 2011), so it's not as well known as the others. The editorial staff there works hard to look at the conflict from unusual angles; it's not especially a publication for conventional military/battle history. I'd encourage you to pick up a copy of the newest issue (on Gettysburg), and give it a close look.
 
I've read all of those you mentioned. My parents get me a subscription to Civil War Times each year, but I have to say that I like Blue & Gray better. I like that their focus is one battle per issue, and I've taken their tours (at the back of the magazine after the articles) for several battlefields, and liked them. There was a really good one for the retreat route from Gettysburg a few years ago that included Monterey Pass and Fairfield. Recently, I started reading Civil War Monitor, and was impressed with the depth and quality of the pieces in it. And I've subscribed to Civil War News newspaper for years.
 
North & South now numbers among the things that were. The zombie has finally been killed. I lost $20,000 in that fiasco. However, one thing that should be said about Keith Poulter, who is a terribly incompetent businessman: he forced a dramatic change in the quality of the scholarship in Civil War magazine, which was a welcome change for the better.

I helped old friend Terry Johnston set up The Civil War Monitor, and am very partial to it. I am also very partial to Blue & Gray because of the tours and because of the quality of the articles.
 
I've been impressed by the Civil War Monitor, and have been a subscriber since its inception. I used to take Civil War Times Illustrated, which was pretty good, though eventually I let the subscription lapse. I've never subscribed to Blue and Gray or any others, though I'd pick up specific issues at the store if they happened to have something naval in them (i.e., rarely).

I also "subscribed" to "The Civil War Navy Magazine," but it is/was horribly run; many did not get their first issues (I was among those who did), and was very underwhelmed by it and by the unprofessionalism of the editor/publisher. (I've never received any issues since the first and don't really expect to.)
 
I've been impressed by the Civil War Monitor, and have been a subscriber since its inception. I used to take Civil War Times Illustrated, which was pretty good, though eventually I let the subscription lapse. I've never subscribed to Blue and Gray or any others, though I'd pick up specific issues at the store if they happened to have something naval in them (i.e., rarely).

I also "subscribed" to "The Civil War Navy Magazine," but it is/was horribly run; many did not get their first issues (I was among those who did), and was very underwhelmed by it and by the unprofessionalism of the editor/publisher. (I've never received any issues since the first and don't really expect to.)

Yeah, the Monitor is probably one I'm going to get. I've only read 1 issue so far but really enjoyed it.

The Lincoln issue:

TCNbig.jpg
 
North & South now numbers among the things that were. The zombie has finally been killed. I lost $20,000 in that fiasco. However, one thing that should be said about Keith Poulter, who is a terribly incompetent businessman: he forced a dramatic change in the quality of the scholarship in Civil War magazine, which was a welcome change for the better.

I helped old friend Terry Johnston set up The Civil War Monitor, and am very partial to it. I am also very partial to Blue & Gray because of the tours and because of the quality of the articles.

When did North & South go under Eric? I have the Feburary 2013 issue. Come to think of it haven't seen it since, I just figured Giant Eagle where I bought the issue, stopped carrying it.

Sorry for your financial loss. That's a big hit.

Edit: Looked it up and Wiki says that they announced in June that the magazine was done. Too bad, I liked the issue I had.
 
When did North & South go under Eric? I have the Feburary 2013 issue. Come to think of it haven't seen it since, I just figured Giant Eagle where I bought the issue, stopped carrying it.

Sorry for your financial loss. That's a big hit.

Edit: Looked it up and Wiki says that they announced in June that the magazine was done. Too bad, I liked the issue I had.

Live and learn, Bob. I should have known that this guy has a track record of being a terrible businessman. Shame on me.

The February 2013 issue was the final one.
 
Without a doubt, I join others here in recommending Blue & Gray; however, I've never subscribed to it! The reason is as stated: its best feature is in analyzing a single ( often small ) engagement, or portion of a large battle, with an accompanying "General's Tour" that allows a traveller to explore the site of the action. And therein lies its "problem" for me. I live remote from The Seat of War, so my travel is limited. That's why I'm happy that both state historical sites as well as the NPS stock relevant back issues in their gift shops, which is where I've purchased most of mine like the recent one on Stones River. I found other recent issues on Chickamauga at a used-book store that were helpful on my vacation; I also intend to buy the current Chattanooga issue, having just returned from there.

I began subscribing to Civil War Times ( the Illustrated part of the title was dropped a few years ago, since anymore EVERYTHING is! ) back in 1961 during the Centennial, and remained a faithful subscriber for close to a half-century, through their many ups-and-downs. At this time, however, I cannot recommend it, declining as it has from 10 issues @ $10 annually to its present anemic 6 at the hefty increase to $26! They will cry in their beer that this is "necessary", and maybe it IS; but somehow that's not enough for a long-time patron like myself, especially when after fifty years most of their material is for me merely a rehash of things already published.

Like with the price increases and the above-mentioned fate of North and South ( which I hadn't heard ), it's exceedinly likely that more will "bite the dust", as it had become something of a glutted market, and I think magazines are having a tough time generally. The decline in literacy among a population glutted with YouTube vids and apps endangers all printed matter. Forums like THIS have probably already done much to replace them, too!

B&G.jpg
 
I realized one can not make out the name of the magazine in the above photo.

It's North South Trader's civil war magazine
 
I don't have a subscription to any Civil War magazines yet, although I am thinking of getting Blue & Gray. So far, I have a subscription to World War II and Armchair General, both great magazines, always with interesting articles, book reviews, and also fun battle commander scenarios in Armchair General.
 
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