What American Civil War Books Are You Planning On Buying/Reading Next?

R. Evans

Sergeant
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Location
Salem, Ohio
Forgive me if there is a thread like this around. I did a search and couldn't find anything.:smile:

So here goes. These 3 should be here tomorrow or Saturday. Can't wait to dive in.​
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Just got Education in Violence: The Life of George H. Thomas and the History of the Army of the Cumberland, by Francis F. McKinney, and started it just yesterday. Although it's research reading, it's so far quite enjoyable.
 
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Next just happened to me.

Ploughshares into Swords, which could be subtitled, The Life and Times of Josiah Gorgas, by Frank Vandevire, provides the reader with what one man, Chief of Ordnance for the CS, and his many-membered group of subordinates, did to keep weapons and ammo in the hands of CS troops during the entire war at the Bureau of Ordnance and its many ordnance offices. I can't imagine another book that does the same. It also includes the concerns of a husband and father for the welfare of his large family. Reaches backwards and forwards into Gorgas's life before and after the war. Gorgas was a behind-the-scenes hero for a lost cause.

Norm
 
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I stumbled onto McPherson's book, Battle Cry of Freedom at McKay's bookstore for $2.00, and it's in real good shape. I'm about to finish the first chapter. So far so good.
 
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Next just happened to me.

Ploughshares into Swords, which could be subtitled, The Life and Times of Josiah Gorgas, by Frank Vandevire, provides the reader with what one man, Chief of Ordnance for the CS, and his many-membered subordinates, did to keep weapons and ammo in the hands of CS troops during the entire war at the Bureau of Ordnance and its many ordnance offices. I can't imagine another book that does the same. It also includes the concerns of a husband and father for the welfare of his large family. Reaches backwards and forwards into Gorgas's life before and after the war. Gorgas was a behind-the-scenes hero for a lost cause.

Norm

I'm adding this to my "must read" list. It came to my my attention while reading Charles Dew's Ironmaker to the Confederacy several years back but fell off my radar screen. Like Gorgas, Tredegar's Anderson was a behind-the-scenes hero of the Confederacy.
 
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I'm adding this to my "must read" list. It came to my my attention while reading Charles Dew's Ironmaker to the Confederacy several years back but fell off my radar screen. Like Gorgas, Tredegar's Anderson was a behind-the-scenes hero of the Confederacy.
Gorgas mentions Anderson, so I wondered about what he did for the CS. Nice to know now that an author was perceptive enough to resurrect Anderson's important contribution to the CS war effort. I ordered the book.
 
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Gorgas mentions Anderson, so I wondered about what he did for the CS. Nice to know now that an author was perceptive enough to resurrect Anderson's important contribution to the CS war effort. I ordered the book.

I think you are in for a treat in reading Dew's book. Since my next trip to the library will include ordering the Vandevire book, I'll think I'll also order Dew's book on a related subject Bond of Iron: Master and Slave at Buffalo Forge.
 
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I stumbled onto McPherson's book, Battle Cry of Freedom at McKay's bookstore for $2.00, and it's in real good shape. I'm about to finish the first chapter. So far so good.
You won't waste your time with McPherson's book. I thought it was helpful to understand the war by also reading Potter's book, The Impending Crisis, which describes events leading up to the war, 1848 to 1861. If you want to make it a trilogy, finish Foner's Reconstruction, which describes the war's aftermath to 1877. The 3 books contain so much info that I have to reread them to recall events in those years. Admittedly, they are heavy lifts, but worth the effort, IMO.
 
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