Tag Archives: American Civil War

Short rounds and the week ahead

Posted on January 23, 2019 by smellincoffee

On Saturday the library was partially evacuated owing to a tornado warning, and today Father Winter has well and truly hit the town.  I’m currently reading a scrutiny of political utopias, transhumanism, and religious-spiritual ideas about life beyond death (from … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

These Rugged Days

Posted on November 22, 2017 by smellincoffee

These Rugged Days: Alabama in the Civil War© 2017 John Sledge296 pages Although Alabama was not the site of as many bloody battles as Virginia and Tennessee in the Civil War, it was not a quiet backwater only troubled at … Continue reading →

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The Unvanquished

Posted on March 22, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Unvanquished© 1938 William Faulkner254 pages Years ago in a ninth-grade literature class,  I chose to read a book by William Faulkner for a class project on the basis that he was a southern writer. My teacher cautioned me against … Continue reading →

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Robert E Lee

Posted on March 9, 2017 by smellincoffee

Robert E. Lee: A Life© 2003 Roy Blount Jr272 pages They say that God in heav’n  is everybody’s god I’ll admit that God in heav’n Is everybody’s god But I tell ya John, with pride, God leans a little on … Continue reading →

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Selma: A Bicentennial History

Posted on February 27, 2017 by smellincoffee

Selma: A Bicentennial History© 2017 Alston Fitts III384 pages On December 4th, 1820, the Alabama legislature granted a town charter to a burgeoning community established on a high bluff overlooking the Alabama river. The place, named after a cities of … Continue reading →

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The Red Badge of Courage

Posted on July 7, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Red Badge of Courage© 1895 Stephen Crane170 pgs Stephen Crane practically introduced Civil War historical fiction, writing this tale set during a war that was ended six years before his birth. The Red Badge of Courage is the account … Continue reading →

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Green, Blue, and Grey

Posted on June 18, 2016 by smellincoffee

Green, Blue, and Grey: the Irish in the American Civil War©  2009 Cal McCarthy325 pages Three cheers for the red, white, and blue! For the green flag of Erin so true.. The music of the Civil War reflects the sheer … Continue reading →

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All Other Nights

Posted on March 9, 2016 by smellincoffee

All Other Nights© 2009 Dara Horn400 pages Why is this night different than all other nights?  Well, for starters, Joseph Rappaport is going to poison his uncle, on suspicion that he is plotting to kill Abraham Lincoln.   That move … Continue reading →

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Horses at Work

Posted on December 23, 2015 by smellincoffee

Horses at Work: Harnessing Power in Industrial America© 2008 Ann Norton Greene322 pages The quintessential image of horses in American history is the cowboy, of rough men moving cattle in the wilderness on horseback. But follow the cattle, and their … Continue reading →

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Engines of War

Posted on July 17, 2015 by smellincoffee

Engines of War: How Wars Were Won and Lost on the Railways368 pages© 2010 Christian Wolmar An army marches on its stomach, but for a hundred years it rode to victory only on the rails.  It was Napoleon who observed … Continue reading →

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