Booknotes IV (Feb. '09)

Other acquisitions or review copies received this month:

1. The Last Confederate General: John C. Vaughn and His East Tennessee Cavalry by Charles Larry Gordon (Zenith Press, 2009). The Civil War literature generally has little positive to say about the uneven military career of John Vaughn and his brigade of reluctant Confederates. This biography/unit history promises a new, fairer assessment.

2. Our Honored Dead: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the American Civil War by Arthur B. Fox (Mechling Bookbindery, 2008). Fox, perhaps best known for his study of Pittsburgh in the Civil War, here offers readers a treasure trove of maps, images, research data, and historical narrative spanning social, economic, and military spheres. A useful and great looking reference book at a reasonable price. It strikes one as a book destined for collectibility status.

3. "A Heinous Sin": The 1864 Brooksville - Bayport Raid by Michael C. and Robert M. Hardy (Authors, 2009). Michael and his father have put together a nice little piece of local Florida history that you can read in a single sitting. If you liked Dale Cox's book about the Marianna raid you can appreciate the parallels.