Booknotes (May '09)

Acquisitions or review copies received this month:

1. Jayhawkers: The Civil War Brigade of James Henry Lane by Bryce Benedict (U. of Oklahoma Press, 2009).

The first modern scholarly history of the eternally controversial Lane Brigade (there's actually another in the works), this might prove to be one of the more groundbreaking studies to be published this year.

2. Commanding Lincoln's Navy: Union Naval Leadership During the Civil War by Stephen R. Taaffe (Naval Institute Press, 2009).

On the surface, this book looks similar in coverage to Symonds's Lincoln Prize co-winner Lincoln and His Admirals, but my initial impression of the impact of Taaffe's scholarship and writing is more favorable.

3. Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective by John R. Scales (Naval Institute Press, 2006).

This is a book with a very unusual, but interesting, non-narrative approach to conducting a decision analysis of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Written by a retired general, it uses modern planning techniques designed for army officer training, but is also intended for more general consumption.