Book Notes
- Book Notes
They were united against a common enemy during the Civil War, but there was little else Union generals agreed upon. Indeed, with the assistance of Brooks D. Simpson, Albert Castel skillfully illustrates how the rivalries and suspicions between northern commanders produced a “war within a war.” The book explores the squabbling among Grant, Sherman, Halleck, Rosecrans, and others, but it also depicts their blunders and accomplishments in battles ranging from Vicksburg and Gettysburg to Chickamauga. En masse, they defeated the Confederacy, but individually, the generals battled jealous demons.
While many Civil War buffs are familiar with the great naval duel between the Monitor and the Merrimac, few are aware of the dramatic naval engagement between the Alabama and Kearsarge off the coast of France. Utilizing primary sources and archeological evidence, Mark Lardas examines not only the naval battle but also the development of blockade-running throughout the Civil War. Extensive maps and photographs supplement this useful volume for readers interested in the understudied naval aspects of the American Civil War.
First published in 1896, Albion Tourgée’s history of the 105th Ohio Volunteer Infantry has been resurrected in a skillfully edited new edition by Peter Luebke. Utilizing a wealth of primary sources, Tourgée constructed a history of the regiment that explored the regiment’s service throughout the South, including its participation in Sherman’s March to the Sea. The volume also includes beautiful illustrations by Frederic Remington, as well as maps, and a complete roster of the regiment.
This new collection of essays, part of the Law Series sponsored by the University of Akron Law School, examines the construction and consequences of the Fourteenth Amendment. Eleven essays appear, written by some of the leading law professors [End Page 511] and constitutional law scholars around the nation. Designed to focus on initial reactions and interpretations of the amendment, the essays are divided into three sections: the framers, the Supreme Court, and the people. In the framers section, essays examine the political background and historical context of the amendment, the role of the Congress, and the debates about section five of the amendment. In the Supreme Court section, four essays touch on the Slaughterhouse Cases and how the Supreme Court interpreted and maybe misinterpreted the amendment. In the final section, on the people, three essays touch on citizenship, the trial of Jefferson Davis, and Myra Bradwell. This collection provides new perspectives on the legal beginning and legacies of the Fourteenth Amendment.
As Sgt. Lyle G. Adair guarded the rails between Tennessee and northern Alabama during the Civil War, Confederate cavalry captured him and he endured significant time in five different prison camps. He was in Cahaba, Camp Lawton, Blackshear, Thomasville, and Andersonville prison. Glenn Robins has expertly edited this diary to explore a host of issues dealing with race (Adair was a white officer from Ohio commanding African American soldiers), prisoners, and the breakdown of the exchange system. Readers interested in the prison experience during the Civil War will benefit from this volume, which provides significant context to place Adair within the larger literature of the captivity experience.
