1. Going Back the Way They Came: The Philips Georgia Legion Cavalry Battalion
by Richard M. Coffman (Mercer UP, 2011).The Philips Legion fought in the eastern theater campaigns (with the ANV) and in the Carolinas. The pages of Coffman's book are about equally divided between his short military history and roster study.
2. The Battle of Glendale: The Day the South Nearly Won the Civil War
by Jim Stempel (McFarland, 2011).Appearances are not good. The bibliography fills only a single double-columned page of published sources (only a handful primary) and the O.R. is not even referenced once in the notes.
When the Civil War Forum visited the Glendale battlefield a couple of weeks ago with Bobby Krick, he mentioned that this book was forthcoming, and was curious about it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as he knew, the author had not contacted any of the Richmond Battlefields staff for a guided tour, or to find out what materials they might hold.
That doesn't bode well.
I cannot begin to tell you how many McFarland Civil War titles were rejected by Savas Beatie, usually because the research is weak or worse, and the author refuses to do what is necessary for us to seriously consider publishing it. So often these manuscripts end up with McFarland with little or no discernable difference, including editing or better research.
ReplyDeleteEach time they do, I smile knowing I made the right decision.
tps