Of Light Bulbs and Switches

I’ve been considering books that have really impacted how I think about the American Civil War, history and I guess by extension life in general – but let’s just stick to the war and history for now.  I’ll list a few below in no particular order – this is meant as a discussion starter, so I’ll just list them.  You wanna know more – leave a comment; you wanna agree, disagree, add your own – leave a comment (except YOU have to explain yourself – it’s GOOD to be king!)  I’m not talking about “Wow, that was a great regimental/campaign study/biography” stuff.  These are books that made you go “WOW!!! I never thought of it like that”, get it?  They don’t have to be particularly well written or a joy to read, or even among your favorites.  They just must have made a big impact on the way you approach your studies.

These are in no particular order:

• Mark Grimsley’s The Hard Hand of War
• Russel McClintock’s Lincoln and the Decision for War
• Mark Wilson’s The Business of Civil War
• Joseph Harsh’s Confederate Tide Rising, Taken at the Flood, and Sounding the Shallows
• George Adams’ Doctors in Blue
• Carol Reardon’s Pickett’s Charge in History and Memory
• Mark Neely’s The Fate of Liberty and Southern Rights
• Thomas Connelly’s God and General Longstreet
• Charles Dew’s Apostles of Disunion