Recent arrivals

From Conciliation to Conquest: The Sack of Athens & the Court-Martial of Colonel John B. Turchin (University of Alabama Press) by George Bradley and Richard Dahlen.

This book's wonderfully written introduction asks some pertinent--but rarely fully considered--questions that I hope are satisfactorily addressed:

"...the questions about underlying policy presented by the times to those then in charge remain with us. Will we liberate, occupy, conquer, or punish? Why have the people volunteered? What happens when an anticipated liberation becomes an occupation of an area inhabited by a mixture of welcoming and hostile citizens? How should an army of occupation behave? What can we reasonably expect of volunteers in uniform, given due consideration of their reasons for enlisting, their training, and the level of leadership they have? Knowing what we can or cannot expect of them, is it proper, advantageous, or disadvantageous to deploy them in the troubled territory?"
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Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, and Prairie Grove: A Battlefield Guide, with a Section on Wire Road (University of Nebraska Press) by Earl J. Hess, Richard W. Hatcher III, William Garrett Piston, and William L. Shea.

This is the first book length guide for these battles, and the organization and maps look first rate. This series is shaping up to be the best for providing value and practicality.
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Lincolnites and Rebels: A Divided Town in the American Civil War (Oxford University Press) by Robert Tracy McKenzie.

My Pickens ancestors were very active East Tennessee unionists, so I have an especially focused interest in this divided region.