Civil War

When diplomacy and discussion failed, brother turned against brother as the bloodiest war in American history was waged to determine whose way of life would prevail. Here, find unexpected stories of the women, men, and children who joined the fight and often gave their lives to defend their homes and their ideals in the War Between the States.

TITLES

Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See by Bruce Chadwick
This engaging history of the year 1858 shows the events and major players that set the course toward civil war.

*Two Brothers by David H. Jones
While ministering to the sick and dying men in a Washington, D.C. hospital shortly after the war, poet Walt Whitman stumbles upon two brothers who fought for opposite sides and seeks to unravel the events that led them to fight one another.

War’s Relentless Hand: Twelve Tales of Civil War Soldiers by Mark H. Dunkelman
Intimate portraits of twelve soldiers reveal their daily life along with their hopes and dreams—for themselves and their families— during the war.

Tragic Glory: A Concise, Illustrated History of the Civil War by Douglas Lee Gibboney
This handbook to the Civil War introduces the major players, dates and battles in an easy, readable way and is a good review to refresh your memory of American history.

Children for the Union: The War Spirit on the Northern Home Front by James Marten
Childhood ended early during the Civil War— some children were called to work to support their families, others to the front as drummer boys or under-age soldiers. Experience the lives of Northern children during the Civil War.

The Mysterious Private Thompson: The Double Life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, Civil War Soldier by Laura Leedy Gansler
Fleeing an abusive father and an unwanted marriage, Sarah Edmonds dressed as a man and enrolled in the Union army as Franklin Thompson. This is the true story of her service as a soldier—and possibly as a spy—and her eventual victory for the only Civil War soldier’s pension given to a woman.

The Colors of Courage: Gettysburg’s Forgotten History by Margaret S. Creighton
Creighton uses rich storytelling to show the roles that immigrants, African-Americans, and women played in the battle that turned the tide of the war.

Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery by Anne Farrow, Joel Lang, and Jennifer Frank
Slavery is often thought of as something that only profited the South. The authors of this eye-opening book show that the North benefited directly from slavery and even encouraged it.

* Light, entertaining books for both adult and teen readers.