Booknotes III (Mar '13)

New Arrivals:

1. 1863: Lincoln's Pivotal Year edited by Harold Holzer and Sara V. Gabbard (SIU Pr, 2013).

From the publisher description: "The ten essays in this book explore the year’s important events and developments, including the response to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation; the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, and other less-well-known confrontations; the New York City draft riots; several constitutional issues involving the war powers of President Lincoln; and the Gettysburg Address and its continued impact on American thought. Other topics include the adaptation of photography for war coverage; the critical use of images; the military role of the navy; and Lincoln’s family life during this fiery trial."

2. Blood on the Streets: The Civil War Comes to Jackson County, Missouri, August 1862 by Ralph A. Monaco II (Jackson Cty Hist Soc, 2012).

I have a soft spot for little books published by historical societies and museums, but, at only 60+ pages of narrative, this one is a bit short to fit in background information and adequate discussions of a pair of 1862 battles (Independence and Lone Jack).