A Chain of Thunder (Civil War: 1861-1865, Western Theater #2) by Jeff Shaara takes place in and around Vicksburg, Mississippi during the American Civil War.

This is not a comprehensive book, and it is not meant to be one. It’s a quick primer for those interested in the subject and would give one a sense of what they would like to read next.

Ambrose Bierce (24 June, 1842 – circa 1914) was an journalist, short story writer, satirist and editorialist from the United States.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott – an excellent book .focusing on four women who took part in the Civil War

I liked the stories of the women and the found the characters to be affable and smart. The author can certainly write and engaging story and I found myself to be sympathetic to the storyline.

Mr. Johnson manages to tackle tough issues with grace and humor using interesting characters and plot twists. This book would make an excellent choice for a book club, as there is much to discuss and address.

On 1 September 1871, author Stephen Crane was born (d. 5 June, 1900). Crane is best known for his book The Red Badge of Courage. I must say that of all the books I was forced to read in high school, this is one of the few books which I remember. Books by Stephen Crane 1 ) Crane was born in Newark, NJ and was the youngest of 14 kids. 2 ) When his father died, the family relocated to Asbury Park, NJ. 3 ) Crane’s first book, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets was published independently because it was considered scandalous (Maggie’s decline into prostitution and suicide) and Crane, a journalist at the time, could not find a publisher. The book received critical acclaim but failed to sell. 4 ) A year later, 1895, Crane published a book on a more popular topic, The American Civil War. The Red Badge of Courage was first serialized in newspapers and made Crane an international celebrity at 24. 5 ) Due to his celebrity stature, Crane was sent to Cuba to cover the insurrection against Spain. On his way he stayed at a cheap hotel and met Cora Howard Taylor who became his…

Based on a true story, Mary has been a slave to the Van Lew family in Richmond, VA. Bet Van Lew, the daughter and abolitionist, frees Mary and sends her to school in Philadelphia.

About: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a Pulitzer Prize winning historical fiction masterpiece. The book takes place over three days during the Battle of Gettysburg. 355 pages Publisher: Ballantine Books Language: English ISBN-10: 0345348109 My rating for The Killer Angels – 5 Buy this book in paper or in elec­tronic format. More book by Michael Shaara Thoughts:  The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a wonderful portrayal of the horrors, honor and thinking which goes into a battle. The novel delves into the minds of General Robert E. Lee, General James Longstreet, General George Pickett, General John Buford, General Winfield Scott Hancock and Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain whom I found to be the most interesting character in the book. The author uses both historical accounts and pure fiction in his storytelling. The internal thoughts are pure fiction even though they are based on written documents. The story centers around the Battle of Gettysburg and specifically the battle of Little Roundtop and Pickett’s Charge. The actions is written in a very coherent and readable fashion, I could sense the excitement, anxiety and fear. Each day of the battle is told through the eyes of the commanders, Robert E. Lee & James Longstreet of the Confederacy while opposing them are the eyes of  Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and John Buford for the…

On 17 December, 1862 Major-General Ulysses S. Grant issued his infamous General Order No. 11 expelling all Jews from his military district