Category Archives: American Civil War

Book Review: Breaking Chains

Posted on May 2, 2024 by nathanalbright

Breaking Chains: Slavery On Trial In The Oregon Territory, by R. Gregory Nokes There is definitely room for a good or even great book on the subject of slavery and the freeish black experience during the territorial phase of Oregon. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Forever Free

Posted on April 25, 2024 by nathanalbright

Forever Free: The Story Of Emancipation And Reconstruction, by Eric Foner and Joshua Brown What is it that makes this book so superior, in general, to Foner’s other works on the subject of Reconstruction? It is obvious, for example, in … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Second Founding

Posted on April 24, 2024 by nathanalbright

The Second Founding: How The Civil War And Reconstruction Remade The Constitution, by Eric Foner This book is a classic example of why someone cannot trust the reputation of contemporary historians when they seek to write history with an eye … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Ages Of Discord

Posted on April 15, 2024 by nathanalbright

Ages Of Discord: A Structural-Demographic Analysis Of American History, by Peter Turchin In reading this book, I was struck by the fact that there are really two types of books by this author, and both of them are great kinds … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Uncommon Valor

Posted on February 27, 2024 by nathanalbright

Uncommon Valor: A Story Of Race, Patriotism, And Glory In The Final Battles Of The Civil War, by Melvin Claxton And Mark Puls This book is evidence of a phenomenon that is likely not very surprising but which somewhat cuts … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Blood Moon

Posted on January 24, 2024 by nathanalbright

Blood Moon: An American Epic Of War And Splendor In The Cherokee Nation, by John Sedgwick This book is a bit disappointing, it must be admitted. While the subtitle of the book promises a tale of war and splendor, we get precious … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A People’s History Of The Civil War

Posted on January 7, 2024 by nathanalbright

A People’s History Of The Civil War: Struggles For The Meaning Of Freedom, by David Williams It is no surprise that this book is terrible. The book is a doctrinaire Marxist text about a deeply complex and deeply controversial topic; there is … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Calculus Of Violence

Posted on January 6, 2024 by nathanalbright

The Calculus Of Violence: How Americans Fought The Civil War, by Aaron Sheehan-Dean When the author writes of the violence of the Civil War as being a calculus, many people may immediately think that this means some kind of bloodless , … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Soldier Of Destiny

Posted on January 5, 2024 by nathanalbright

Soldier Of Destiny: Slavery, Secession, And The Redemption Of Ulysses S. Grant, by John Reeves This book is, at least so far, the best book by far that John Reeves has written. That said, it is not nearly the sort of book … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Lincoln’s Code

Posted on December 3, 2023 by nathanalbright

Lincoln’s Code: The Laws Of War In American History, by John Fabian Witt There are tens of thousands of books about Abraham Lincoln, and while this book is not entirely unique in its interest in the Lieber Code that was … Continue reading →

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