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Thanks going out to my good friends at The History Press for sending along a copy of their new release Confederate General Leonidas Polk: Louisianas Fighting Bishopwritten by Cheryl White.

Polk has been the subject of several other biographies but I have not read any of them so I am interested in learning more about the "Fighting Bishop". This book looks to follow the fairly standard History Press format coming in at just over 100 pages of text and containing ample b/w illustrations. Priced at under $20 the price is right.

From the back cover:

Thanks going out to author Rich E. Thomas for sending along a copy of his new work of fiction Stonewall Goes West: A Novel of The Civil War and What Might Have Been.

Stonewall Jacksons death at the Battle of Chancellorsville is the great "what if" of the Civil War. In Stonewall Goes West, the fabled Jackson survives his wounding at Chancellorsville in 1863 to assume command of the South’s Army of Tennessee. In a final bid to reverse the failing fortunes of the Confederacy, a maimed but unbowed General Jackson confronts not only Shermans Union armies on the western front, but his own recalcitrant generals. Stonewall Goes West gives the classic "what if” a fresh, new answer in a fast-paced tale, rich with authentic detail, filled with battle and strategy, and populated by the Civil Wars most colorful personalities.

R.E. Thomas is the Managing Editor of The Whiskey Reviewer, a freelance boxing and travel writer, and holds degrees in history and international relations. He has previously published a book about Port wine, and "Stonewall Goes West" is his first novel.

For those interested in more information Mr. Thomas has several websites available. For information on his book visit:

Website--Stonewall Goes West
Facebook--Stonewall Goes West-Facebook

If you are interested in more information on the Whiskey Reviewer you may visit the website linked above or visit the Facebook page.

Thanks go out to the good folks at Sterling Publishing for sending along a copy of their wonderful looking new book The Civil War in Color: A Photographic Reenactment of the War Between the States.

The author John C. Guntzelman has taken photos from the Library of Congress and as he says "These photos are no longer just dusty old pictures, but rather have become very real moments in time from our collective past, frozen forever in color."

Guntzelman has undertaken extensive research to try and make the colors as accurate as possible. He has really worked to get things such as uniform color, building colors appropriate to the era, hair and eye color of famous generals and many more details correct. While there is much to be said for the traditional Civil War era photos being in black and white this new book does look incredible at a first glance. With an introduction written by Bob Zeller, President of The Center for Civil War Photography this book looks like it has a lot of promise. I am looking forward to digging in!

Thanks go out to The History Press and Southern Illinois University Press for sending along a couple of new release books.

From SIU Press comes 1863: Lincolns Pivotal Yearedited by Harold Holzer and Sara Vaughn Gabbard. Contributors include Frank J. Williams, Craig L. Symonds, John Marszalek, William C. Davis, Bob Zeller and others.

From the publisher:

Thanks go out to George Winston Martin for kindly sending along a nicely autographed copy of his new book My Brother, My Friend, My Enemy: A Novel of the American Civil War.

Mr. Martin is the author of the highly regarded book I Will Give Them One More Shot: Ramseys First Regiment Georgia Volunteers published in 2011 by Mercer University Press.  Mr. Martin publishes a blog dealing with the 1st Georgia Volunteers. I highly recommend you take a look by clicking here.  You may also keep up with him by checking his website here. I found out from his website that he is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University which I worked at many years ago at the start of my college book selling career. Small world huh?

Heres a preview of My Brother... from Amazon and also the back cover of the book:

Thank you to my good friends at The History Press for sending along a couple of their new release books.



From author, blogger, educator, and Antietam park ranger John Hoptak comes an exciting new book on Gettysburg. Confrontation at Gettysburg: A Nation Saved, a Cause Lost (Civil War Sesquicentennial) is  best described by John himself.

From his blog:  As is stated in the book’s introduction, I set out on this project not attempting to pave new ground, nor to mine any new, undiscovered sources. From the start, I approached this more as a storyteller than a historian. Students of the battle will find nothing new here, for the intended audience all along was not those who already possess an understanding of the battle but those who are seeking a concise narrative; those who are seeking, perhaps for the first time, a general understanding of why the battle was fought, how it unfolded, and what happened as a result. My sources were by and large secondary, with the works of Coddington, Sears, Trudeau, Woodworth, Symonds, and especially Pfanz serving as my guides and providing the framework. Confrontation at Gettysburg is a short work, coming in at around 250 pages of text, with nearly 100 images and illustrations (including a number of incredible hand-drawn maps by my good friend Mannie Gentile, which will knock your socks off, supplemented by maps by Hal Jespersen), with a total of just over 90,000 words. . . retailing for $16.99. As with all things Gettysburg, the criticisms will surely come; for not focusing enough on the cavalry actions, for example, or perhaps my handling of Lee, Meade, Chamberlain and a host of others. But this, of course, is to be expected. My intention from day one was to write a clear and concise narrative of the campaign, a synthesis, with the hope being that I could both inspire further study and repay the faith placed in me by Doug Bostick and everyone at the History Press.



The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory (Civil War Sesquicentennial)is a new book from author Steven L. Warren.

From the publisher: The commander of the three-hundred-wagon Union supply train never expected a large ragtag group of Texans and Native Americans to attack during the dark of night in Union-held territory. But Brigadier Generals Richard Gano and Stand Watie defeated the unsuspecting Federals in the early morning hours of September 19, 1864, at Cabin Creek in the Cherokee nation. The legendary Watie, the only Native American general on either side, planned details of the raid for months. His preparation paid off--the Confederate troops captured wagons with supplies that would be worth more than $75 million today. Writer, producer and historian Steve Warren uncovers the untold story of the last raid at Cabin Creek in this Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal winning history.

Be sure to check out the Facebook page for the book. There are already a lot of great photos there.

Thanks to the good folks at Savas Beatie and also to author Scott L. Mingus Sr. for sending along a copy of Scotts newest book CONFEDERATE GENERAL WILLIAM "EXTRA BILLY" SMITH: From Virginias Statehouse to Gettysburg Scapegoat.

Its hard to believe that nobody has seriously taken up Smith as a subject until now. A brief reading of the dust jacket shows Smith to have been quite the character and somebody who is worthy of a full biography from the skilled pen of Mr. Mingus. I am looking forward to his views on Smiths actions at Gettysburg.

The book looks to be well illustrated and has numerous maps. The maps are from skilled cartographer Hal Jesperson. In other words this is a normal well produced book by Savas Beatie who are known for their top notch production values!

In order to whet your appetite a bit be sure to check out this brief interview with the author.

A couple of new releases have arrived in my mailbox over the last few weeks.

Thanks to the good folks at Random House for sending a copy of Bruce Levines new book The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution That Transformed the South.

From the dust jacket:  In this major new history of the Civil War, Bruce Levine tells the riveting story of how that conflict upended the economic, political, and social life of the old South, utterly destroying the Confederacy and the society it represented and defended. Told through the words of the people who lived it, The Fall of the House of Dixie illuminates the way a war undertaken to preserve the status quo became a second American Revolution whose impact on the country was as strong and lasting as that of our first.

After seeing the "reviews" on Amazon this looks like it will be an interesting book. Those who refuse to accept that slavery was the driving force in the cause of the war seem to have taken it upon themselves to post a bunch of 1 star reviews with little real thought or insight.


Thanks go out to author David C. Reavis for sending along a nicely autographed copy of Upon These Steps: Brothers in NC 23rd Regiment.

From the book cover: Two brothers are faced with whether or not to join the Confederate Army. One decides to voluntarily enlist, while the other joins only after being drafted. The brothers’ episodes reflect the chronicles of the “Granville Rifles,” a Company within the NC 23rd Regiment. From the Battle of Bull Run to Sherman’s occupation of Raleigh, the plight of each boy gives the reader an insider’s glimpse of the war. Left behind on the family farm are their parents and siblings. Relive what a Southern family had to endure during the war years. All major events seem to originate on the home’s unique circular rock steps. Soldiers leave for and return from war, slaves are freed, Yankees pay a visit, and suitors come a calling. The epic story of this Southern family is a unique blending of historical fiction with a storyline that reflects the resilience of the human spirit. The book is the result of over 35 years of genealogy research of the author. All characters are based on actual people living during the Civil War, with many events being based on eyewitness accounts as recorded by the soldiers in letters written home.

Mr. Reavis is retired from the State of North Carolina and has been doing genealogy research for over 35 years. Please be sure to see his websites www.reavishistory.com and www.uponthesesteps.com . Theres is also a Facebook page for the book here.

I recently received a copy of Robert E. Lee in War and Peace: The Photographic History of a Confederate and American Icon, written by Donald A. Hopkins,courtesy of the good folks at Savas Beatie, LLC.

I cant wait to dig into this one. Dr. Hopkins, a medical doctor not a Ph.D., has uncovered 61 images of The Marble Man, some being reproduced in print for the first time.

Differing from Ostendorffs work on Lincoln, Dr. Hopkins doesnt set up a numbering system for photos. Here, the photos are discussed and analyzed, the photographers given their due, and new discoveries shared with the Civil War community.

This book more than lives up the normal Savas Beatie standard in terms of the physical appearance. Printed on high quality paper there is a real heft to the book. While I havent read it yet this one looks like any student of the Civil War should own a copy. Those interested in early photography would also be wise to take a look