The road to Appomattox Courthouse...
938374
By the spring of 1865, General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, long the scourge of its Union opponents, had been pinned to the trenches outside Petersburg and Richmond for months.  Attrition had made it a wasting asset, while Union armies commanded by General U.S. Grant continued to grow stronger.  A time would come when Lee would have to make the decision to abandon Petersburg and Richmond if he was to save what was left of his army and of the Confederate cause...

"Appomattox 1865" is an Osprey Campaign Series book by experienced historian Ron Field, with illustrations by Adam Hook.  It captures, in surprising detail for the short length of this book, the final Civil War campaign in Virginia, as Grant's armies pursued Lee's dwindling force to a fateful meeting at Appomattox Court House.  The narrative quickly sketches the opposing commanders, their forces, and their plans.  The heart of the story is the short period time between March 29th and April 9th, as Confederate defenses collapsed and as Lee's army attempted to escape.  A series of running battles on the roads between Petersburg and Appomattox are each described.  The text is supported by a excellent selection of maps, battle diagrams, period photographs and art, and modern illustrations.

Field's narrative captures the drama of the moment, and a sense of the inevitability of the conclusion, as Lee's option are foreclosed, one by one.  In the scramble that followed the fall of Petersburg, both sides made mistakes, but Lee's army had less margin for error.  Highly recommended as a very readable and informative introduction to the Appomattox campaign for the general reader and the student of the conflict.
3003133
Used the map while on the road. There were smaller maps available from the hotel that were better for driving in town.
1044203
As one born and raised in Nashville, I feel eminently qualified to review this book. The photo quality of the "Now" pages is excellent. The photo quality of the "Then" pages is excellent, considering the age of some of the pictures, such as the one of the capitol building that dates to Civil War time. If you are from Nashville, thinking of moving there or just want to see what many scenes in the town looked like in the past and today, this book is an excellent choice. You can't beat the price, either. Some of the "Then" scenes, I remember from my childhood. An excellent job all around.
4882086
We have this book in our shop. I must say, this book is thorough, and is a complete account of the feud in all its details. I'm from Pike County, Kentucky, and I work for the Pike County Tourism office. We carry this book and have a difficult time keeping it in stock. People typically go on our Hatfield and McCoy Feud Sites Driving Tour, and purchase this book to provide a background for their adventure. Check out [...] for details on the tour. We recommend this book for sure!
4183618
After release from incarceration in Ft. Monroe, Jefferson Davis retired to Beauvoir, a plantation home in Mississippi.  Encouraged by his colleagues to write a defense of the cause for which they fought he wrote a two-volume treatise entitled,  "The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government," from his unique perspective as the one and only President of the Confederate States of America.  His work gives insights into the factors leading to the WBTS from the southern perspective; insights that he alone could provide.

In Volume I he gives an eloquent defense of the constitutional right of secession.  Simply stated, the Union was formed by the States, not States by the Union.  If a state voluntarily joined, it could voluntarily secede; a position first advanced by the states of New England after the Louisiana Purchase in 1802.  He repeatedly cites the Declaration of Independence and the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in support of his position.

He then outlines the oppressive measures taken by the North to coerce the South into submission including denying slave-owners the right to move into new territories and high tariffs enacted to benefit northern industrialists at the expense of southern agriculturalists.  He lists pain-staking efforts of the Southern states to right these wrongs shy of secession.  They were of no avail.

He then explodes the myth that since the South fired the first shot at Ft. Sumter S.C. they were the aggressors.  He brings to light the little known, yet pain-staking efforts made by peace-loving citizens, north and south, to avoid this tragedy, all of which were nullified by President Lincoln.  War was the inevitable result!

President Davis' memoirs were largely ignored outside the south after the war, and in this, an age of political correctness, largely languishes in obscurity today.  This does not mean they are either erroneous or irrelevant in our present day.  If you consider yourself an honest historian of the period, you owe it to yourself to examine the conflict from both sides. While it is anything but light reading it would be an insult to give this historical treasure anything less than the five stars it so richly deserves!!
443548
R3 isn't your everyday history of the Civil Way  its a serious read. The work is as detailed as any ever read by the reviewer. The first R(ebellion) is  skirmish by skirmish, engagement by engagement and battle by battle description of time, location and people over the period from 1861 thru 1865 in Beaufort County, SC  which some believe was the birthplace and cradle of secession.  Interestingly this area from November of 1861 through the end of the War of the Rebellion was a Union stronghold  the Department of the South Atlantic Naval Operations.
The volume outlines how Beaufort County became the experimental location for the second R(econstruction), the initiative with all its false starts, corruption and most importantly success, once again detailing the events, people and, places and events which unfolded. The era of fusion politics, its leaders and initiatives leading to the countys golden age are described in detail.
leading to the third R(edemption). This period during, during last quarter of the 19th century, details the opposition leaders seeking the reestablishment of the old South through disenfranchisement of freedmen through the Jim Crow era.
Again a serious read  but worth the time  waiting (im)patiently for Volume 3!
4275335
Mark Woodard has drawn on many sources to produce a handy and historically accurate account of Summerville, S.C., the classic pineland
refuge for Charlestonians and probably the first true railroad town in America.  Lowcountry planters first realized that they could escape the
summer "sickly season" on the pine ridge beside the Sawmill Branch - then came the city people fleeing Yellow Fever.  By 1890, invalids from
all around the world were filling the great inns of the village, seeking relief from pulmonary diseases.  Biographies of memorable locals and
lots of images keep the reading light; war stories and the most destructive earthquake east of the Mississippi River help to shake up the tale.  The writing style is informal and friendly, appealing to visitors on tour through the heavily-wooded historic districts.  Home Sweet Home helps make sense of a very Southern town with an atypical history. Dr. Ed West, President of Summerville Dorchester History Museum
4010667
This is a fine end to the three volume series on the extraordi8narily sanguinary battle at Chickamauga. This is not a lengthy volume, but it has heft. For instance, the order of battle lays out what units were involved in the battle--and also the best estimate as to casualties. The percentage of dead, wounded, and missing or captured is high. This is clearly a very deadly battle. The tables in appendices are a valuable contribution to our understanding of the battle.

The subtitle is telling. For the Confederate Army of Tennessee, this was indeed a "barren victory." Commanding general Braxton Bragg did not have a sense of the magnitude of his victory. And the momentum of the battle dissipated as the dysfunctional leadership structure of the southern forces manifest itself. Confederate forces had a sense that the Union Army of the Cumberland was devastated by the battle. They were not. There was a reasonable degree of order in their retrogade movement into Chattanooga. The Union forces began to take action to stabilize their position. U. S. Grant brought forces to Chattanooga. The Army of the Potomac contributed two corps to the city. The dynamic rapidly changed.

And the victory was indeed barren.
125836
Burke Davis has hit homeruns with other Civil War books on the fall of Richmond and the flight of Jefferson Davis, on Sherman's March, and a good bio of J.E.B. Stuart.  This one follows the Confederate defenders of Petersburg and Richmond til the surrender at Appomattox.  This book uses tons of first person accounts based on letters, diaries, newspaper articles, and memoirs.  Davis writes in a crisp, readable style that will keep you turning the pages.  Much has been written about Lee's surrender at Appomattox and this is surely one of the best books on the subject from a Confederate point of view.
3384656
I recently finished reading the third volume of Shelby Footes The Civil War: A Narrative trilogy. Volume 3, Red River to Appomattox, tells the story of the Civil War's final two years, 1864-1865. During this year, Abraham Lincoln finally discovers the general that will lead the Union to victory. However, that triumph still very much in doubt.  Union armies have been victorious at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, but the Confederates have also won key battles as well  most notably at Chickamauga. Rebel armies, commanded by Robert E. Lee, are still formidably strong. They're spoiling for a fight, and they're soon embroiled in one.

In April 1864, Ulysses S. Grant, now General-in-Chief of all Federal armies, marches his 120,000-man Army of the Potomac into Virginia and begins is the bloodiest campaign of the war. He engages Lees Army of Northern Virginia in major battles at the Wilderness; Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. Union and Confederate armies suffer over 55,000 casualties. Grant slowly and relentlessly moves toward Richmond... but ends up in a siege at Petersburg instead.

Meanwhile, General William T. Sherman marches his army southeast from Chattanooga toward Atlanta. In September 1864, Sherman captures Georgia's largest city. A month later, after razing Atlanta, Sherman and his "bummers" begin a march eastward through Georgia toward Savannah, leaving a path of total destruction behind them.

By March 1865, Sherman reaches Savannah and marches northward from there. His army captures Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. Mobile, Alabama is now in Union hands. In Virginia, Grants nine-month long siege of Petersburg ends in victory, brought about by key victories at Fort Stedman, Five Forks, Petersburg, and finally, Appomattox.

I have now read all three volumes of The Civil War: A Narrative several times. Shelby Foote is a master at weaving the personalities and events of the Civil War into a seamless and captivating narrative. One of Footes great strengths as a writer is his ability to hold his readers interest with his sparkling, almost musical prose.

Shelby Foote has been criticized for factual errors, slipshod research, and incorporating a "Southern bias" into his writing. I have never found any validity in any of these criticisms. I think Footes account of the Civil War is always fair, objective, detailed, and historically accurate.

Red River to Appomattox does have a significant flaw, however. Although obviously based on solid historical research, it doesnt adhere to established standards of source citation. In other words, there are no foot- or end notes, and very few bibliographical references. Foote should have included some form of footnote or end note citations, and a more comprehensive bibliography. All three volumes would also have benefited immensely from better maps and the inclusion of illustrations.

Despite this imperfection, The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 3-Red River to Appomattox remains a beautifully written, outstanding work of history. Highly recommended.
1858871
Any fan of Grisham will love this one.  Would love visiting the region and soaking in some southern comfort. Enjoy.
2800692
Easy to Follow driving and walking tours, and amazingly beautiful pictures, that capture this memorable period in history of the Low Country: Beaufort, Hilton Head, and Charleston, South Carolina by David D'Arcy, photography by Ben Mammina.  Worth buying and taking on your next visit to the Hilton Head area.
Be sure to also purchase the "Civil War Walking Tour of Savannah", Georgia, and  "Civil War Tour of Charleston", South Carolina.
Inside each of these books,  several short tours, along with pictures,  and descriptions of what you will be viewing at each stop are provided, .
The "Civil War Walking Tour of Savannah" is just that--three walking tours, to choose from,  for the casual walker in mind, or choose a driving tour.
"Civil War Tour of Charleston" allows you to choose from several driving (GPS compatible), walking, or ferry tours.
So many amazing historical buildings, forts and battle grounds, and things to see, along with a history lesson, in each of these books---Enjoy all your Tours!! Very worthwhile.
206162
As a Northerner, I don't feel at home anywhere south of New Jersey....and even then I tend to draw the border somewhere around Atlantic City. Like the author, I too have come to the realization that the Civil War is still being fought. Over the years I have frequently wondered whether Lincoln didn't actually make a huge costly mistake. This book provides an initial blueprint for an amicable divorce, one that would probably benefit both sides. While written with a good deal of humor, the author does raise a number of very serious points worth contemplating. His suggestions are not without merit. I recommend this book highly!
4834339
Good source of local history of events along the "Knox Trail" in the Berkshires. Well researched with lots of anecdotes concerning the trail. Not as much content about Henry Knox. This is a little misleading since Knox is featured prominently on the cover. The one major failing from my perspective is the almost complete lack of maps of the trail. One of the main thrusts of the book is discovering the actual route of the Knox Trail and the Indian Trail that precedes it. The authors reference to locations not shown or hard to find on Google or USGS maps make it difficult to follow unless you happen to be a local.
2203080
Ever wonder what it would be like to find and drive all the abandoned rt 66 alignments? These guys did it so you don't have to.
Not always a fun or easy journey.
Not a scholarly tome, but containing enough names,  places, and dates to make for a knowledgeable trip.
Reading this book is the next best thing to making the drive.
1574983
This book takes the reader from the origin of the 1940 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike as a never completed Vanderbilt railroad to the turnpike as it exists today.  It is disappointing to learn that some of the historically significant elements of the original section of the turnpike have been lost to make it conform with the Interstate system.  Oh well, I guess this is progress.  I wish I had the opportunity to travel the 1940 Turnpike, as I did with that other road icon, the Meritt Parkway in Connecticut.  The photograpy would have been awesome in color, but I understand that colored photography did not become common until most of the turnpike was completed.  Anyone who is interested in iconic roads through some beautiful scenery, should buy this book.
1177477
A masters thesis turned into a good book focused on a neglected part of SC history. The book transitions well through colonial history down to the Modern South and details the effects of that transition upon the liquor trade in the Up State. This is not "heavy" history" but a book easily enjoyed by the general reader. For a more thorough treatment of the moonshine trade in the Blue Ridge mountains I suggest the books by Joseph Earl Dabney ... Mountain Spirits and More Mountain Spirits. Both are published by Bright Mountain Books, Asheville,NC. One may now obtain a SC state permit to make corn liquor; but the cost of the permit is high; and there are set limits to production to discourage large operations. But with the right contacts one can still "go down the road and come back again with a pint of that good old mountain dew"... but run the risk of lead poisoning.