Booknotes VIII (March '12)

New Arrivals:

1.  America's Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union by Fergus M. Bordewich (Simon & Schuster, 2012).

Another history of the Compromise of 1850.  Being unfamiliar with Bordewich's other works, I have no opinion on what to expect.

2.  Marching With Sherman: Through Georgia and the Carolinas With the 154th New York by Mark H. Dunkelman (LSU Pr, 2012).

Mark Dunkelman adds yet another volume to his remarkable series of books following the 154th NYVI's Civil War journey. This time, the reader joins the New Yorkers from the fall of Atlanta through the March to the Sea, concluding with final victory in North Carolina. Perspectives from the men, as well as the civilians they encountered, are offered.

3.  War Upon the Land: Military Strategy and the Transformation of Southern Landscapes During the American Civil War by Lisa M. Brady (Univ of Georgia Pr, 2012).

Focusing on Vicksburg, the 1864 Shenandoah Valley, and Sherman's Georgia and Carolinas Campaigns, this book analyzes alteration and destruction of the natural environment as part of Civil War military strategy.  The cultural impact of these actions is an important aspect of the book.