Booknotes: California and the Civil War

New Arrival:
• California and the Civil War by Richard Hurley (Arcadia Pub & The Hist Press, 2017).

For this particular title, the publisher solicited a blurb from me. Fortunately for all involved, I rather liked the chapter galleys that were sent to me for consideration (all told around 2/3 to 3/4 of the main text). From what I read, the volume is a fine introduction to a range of social, military, and political topics related to California's Civil War, both within the state's borders and far beyond.

The book description offers a sampling of what you'll find within. "As war broke out back east, a golden-tongued preacher named Reverend Thomas Starr King crisscrossed the state endeavoring to save the Golden State for the Union. Seventeen thousand California volunteers thwarted secessionist schemes and waged brutal campaigns against native tribesmen resisting white encroachment as far away as Idaho and New Mexico. And a determined battalion of California cavalry journeyed to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley to battle John Singleton Mosby, the South's deadliest partisan ranger. Author Richard Hurley delves into homefront activities during the nation's bloodiest war and chronicles the adventures of the brave men who fought far from home."

According to the author bio, Hurley is a college instructor and also "a partner in Bear River Books, a publishing partnership that has produced a historical fiction novel, curated a museum exhibit, created multimedia presentations and produced a documentary all on California during the Civil War."