Today’s treble-T is books we think we will be reading this winter. As I did in summer and fall, I want to first look back at the prior quarter’s TBR predictions and see how I did. I did….poorly. Of the ten books I listed, I read exactly one, Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth. That does not give me great confidence in the next list I post, so I am going to lean into my current strange reading mood — the history of the sectional division that led to the Civil War, very Christmassey — and post ten titles that are on my immediate-interest list in that vein. I am afraid things look poor indeed for the science survey. But first, a tease!
Buchanan heatedly reminded Douglas that he would suffer harsh consequences if he broke with the administration on Kansas. He reportedly told him of two Democratic senators who had opposed Andrew Jackson twenty years earlier. “Mr. Douglas, I desire you to remember that no Democrat has ever yet differed from the administration of his own choice without being crushed. Remember the fate of Tallmadge and Rives.”
Douglas looked back at him and said chillingly, “I wish you to remember that General Jackson is dead, sir.” 1858, Bruce Chadwick
Ten TBR Titles If My Current Mood Persists
(1) 1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See, Bruce Chadwick.
(2) James Buchanan, Jean H. Baker.
(3) Arguing until Doomsday: Stephen Douglas, Jefferson Davis, and the Struggle for American Democracy, Michael Woods
(4) Lincoln and the Decision for War, Russell McClintock. Covers the ‘secession winter’ of 1860-1861 and the outbreak of hostilities in April ’61.
(5) Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era, Nicole Etscheson. And by “contested liberty”, we mean “two different state governments and lots of murder between people fighting over slavery
(6) Year of Meteors: Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Election that Brought on the Civil War, Douglas Egerton
(7) Lincoln vs Davis: War of the Presidents, Nigel Hamilton. Looks at how each executive performs, I think.
(8) Chorus of the Union: How Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas Set Aside Their Rivalry to Save the Nation, Edward McClelland.
(9) Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee, Michael Korda
(10) And Then There Was Light: Lincoln and the American Struggle, Jon Meacham
Reading Freely 
I do admire your laser-like focus….. [looks impressed] My reading, as always, is ALL over the place!
We’ see how long it lasts!
I hope you enjoy those you choose to read. Thanks for sharing your TTT
Thanks for visiting!
I often don’t do well with seasonal TBR posts either, but I’m rooting for you. Thanks for stopping by earlier.
Well, I’ve done OK this year for the most part — usually reading about half of what I intended — but I really muffed fall! XD I’m actually two books into this list already. 😀
I never dare to look back on what I proposed I read. I would imagine that I might end up reading about 30% of what I plan to read.
This is a great reading list! I read through two pre-civil war textbooks and wish I had taken a more … Narrative nonfiction type approach to it. Some of these I’ve heard good things about!
This stuff can be dry, even with an exciting author. Reading about Whig/Democrat party divisions is fairly trying….O_O
😂: ” … the history of the sectional division that led to the Civil War, very Christmassey”
I am looking into adding Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era, Nicole Etscheson to my TBR.
She’s done a few interesting titles, like “A Generation at War” that focuses on the upper midwest during the war. I don’t think they get a lot of attention!
I struggle with any kind of TBR, so I wish you well on yours! Also, all the books on Lincoln are intriguing me. He’s always interested me so I’ll have to look into a few of them.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
I hope these books all help scratch that itch that you have to learn more about the Civil War.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/winter-2026-tbr-ten-books-i-hope-to-read/
A Civil War winter! Good stuff. Let me know if you want more recomendations!
Fire away! 😀 Though I started with Battle Cry of Freedom and then got interested in the growing tension of the 1850s leading to the war itself.
Anything by Bruce Catton or Shelby Foote! Then Mary Chestnut’s Diary, Reville in Washington by Margaret Leech, Crowns of Thorns and Glory [Mrs Lincoln and Mrs Davis]. Fiction: THe Killer Angels, Lincoln by Gore Vidal, [inspite of the racism] Gone With the Wind. Films: Gettysburg with Martin Sheen and Glory with Denzel Washington. Ken Burns Civil War–check your library’s streaming aps.
Books:
– planning on reading Foote next classics club
– Catton’s been on my interest list, glad to have confirmation
– Ditto Mary Chsnut’s diary
Fiction –
– Hve read TKA numerous times
– Love the Vidal reccommend, have been wanting to read his novels
– Read GOTW in high school and then a few years ago
Films:
– Have watched Gettysburg MANY times, including last night XD
– Have seen Glory a couple of times
– Haven’t gotten to the Burns documentary but I understand it’s how most people heard of Shelby Foote!
Reville in Washington and Crowns are new to me, and the latter sounds especially interesting! Thanks!
Oh watch Ken Burns!! And Crowns was very interesting. Reville in Washington was assigned to my Dad in 1950s at Purdue in a history of the South course he took cause it was at the right time in summer school–lol. Ended up being his favorite class due to that book–and he was never a big reader.. He also gave me A History of the South by Francis Butler Simkins but I haven’t read it.
If you want more just let me know!
Great list! I hope you enjoy your books!
That looks like some very heavy reading! I hope you enjoy your winter reading, whatever it ends up looking like.
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Oh, history is my bread and butter. 😀