Booknotes V (May '14)

New Arrivals:

1. The Siege of Lexington, Missouri: The Battle of the Hemp Bales by Larry Wood (The Hist Pr, 2014).

Wood's is the first book length history of the 1861 Lexington Campaign. My interview with the author can be found here.

2. Trading with the Enemy: The Covert Economy During the American Civil War by Philip Leigh (Westholme, 2014).

This is an overview study of the domestic and international contraband trade during the war, from Norfolk to Matamoros.

3. The Presidents' War: Six American Presidents and the Civil War That Divided Them by Chris DeRose (Lyons Press, 2014).

Five former US presidents -- Tyler, Pierce, Fillmore, Buchanan, and Van Buren -- were alive when Lincoln took office. All had a unique understanding of the burdens of refereeing sectional differences and none were unqualified supporters of Lincoln and his wartime policies. DeRose examines the Civil War activities of all five, detailing their interactions with Lincoln (both in assistance and in opposition) and the ways in which they sought to influence events.