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340 CIVIL WAR HISTORY 'historic gold mine" which "yielded 471 items (diplomatic documents, highlevel secret correspondence, and intelligence reports relating to the period of the Civil War)." The "emperors" of the story are Napoleon III of France; his wife, Eugenie; Leopold of Belgium (uncle of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria 's consort); Leopold's daughter, Charlotte; her husband, Maximilian; and Maximilian's older brother, Franz Joseph of Austria. Napoleon and his empress, with the cooperation of Franz Joseph and the latter's relatives, undertook to gain European support for intervention to aid die Confederacy. Maximilian received the assignment of making himself Emperor of Mexico with the support of French, Austrian, Belgian and royalist Mexican troops. Though, in the drama as here presented, President Lincoln remains mostly off stage, he is characterized as the antagonist and eventually the nemesis of the conspiring emperors. All tin's makes a good story, and it is interestingly told. It does not, however, make good history. Some of the quotations from Vienna documents are worth printing, but most of the so-called high-level secret correspondence consists of mere gossip. Unable to distinguish among his sources, the author accepts the improbable along with the probable, the incredible along with the credible. He exaggerates Napoleon's propensity to risk actual involvement on the Confederate side. At the same time, he minimizes the role of one of the European emperors, the Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Alexander is disposed of briefly and erroneously, with the statement that "Russia sent two fleets, one to New York and the other to San Francisco, as a demonstration of friendship." This Russian fleet myth long since has been exploded, but the determined proUnion feeling of the Tsar is a fact, and a fact that seriously impairs the thesis of an alignment of the emperors against Lincoln. Richard N. Current University of Wisconsin A Civil War Cook Book. Compiled by Myrtle Ellison Smith. Introduction by Wayne C. Temple. (Hanogate, Tenn.: the author, 1961. Pp. xv, 268. $4.95.) Tins volume brings to the present-day home much "cookery" of the Civil War period. Mrs. Smith, the author, is well qualified to select and compile these recipes, for she taught foods for many years at Lincoln Memorial University , where she was associate professor in the Department of Home Economics. Students of Lincolniana will enjoy the introductory essay entitled "At Lincoln's Table," written by Wayne C. Temple, director of the Department of Lincolniana at Lincoln University. This book is a compilation of over 1,000 recipes, plus ideas on how to cure meats, pickle foods, etc. The volume is organized in logical sequence with the usual specific food groupings. While it has a table of contents and a bibliography which facilitates its use, an index would also have been helpful. Evidently the intent of the author was not to duplicate other cookbooks, but to add somediing new. This she has accomplished by modifying the old recipes Book Reviews341 with many variations and methods of preparation. The recipes are not always based on specific measurement, as was typical of the Civil War period; but for the most part, they are such that they can still be followed with relative ease. A recipe book of this type has an intriguing quality as well as a utilitarian use. Some of the variations will be new to the present-day cook. Many of the preparations of flavorings, spices, etc., are to be found only in the specialty shop—which adds to the delight of using this particular book. Special formulas for beverages are a fascinating addition. The author gives the place of origin of many recipes, which will help the cook to anticipate to some degree the nature of the finished dish. After reading the book, I enjoyed the preparation and results of a few of the recipes. Others will find the book just as much fun. For cooks who really enjoy "the art of cookery," Mrs. Smith's work is a good addition to the kitchen bookshelf. Jeannie H. James Illinois State Normal University Commanders of the Army of the Potomac. By Wanen W. Hassler, Jr. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1962. Pp. xxi, 281. $6...

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