Preview: “The Civil War Lover’s Guide to New York City”

I attended college back in the day when the mere thought of being forced into taking a job in New York City made a business major’s skin crawl (unless of course you were from there, then you thought it was great.) And as an ACW enthusiast later, I thought that there couldn’t possibly be much to see there outside of Grant’s Tomb. In Bill Morgan’s new The Civil War Lover’s Guide to New York City, I find there is far, far more to see in the city relating to the Civil War than I had imagined, though some of the links are tenuous at best. The book is laid out geographically by borough and neighborhood, and includes many period and modern photographs. The illustrations vary in quality and descriptiveness, and sometimes the narrative is vague as to whether or not the building in question still stands. I suppose I would have preferred more of a template layout by site. But the color photos of statues and monuments are at times stunning. As with most good guidebooks, this sturdy Savas Beatie paperback is ideal for packing along as you walk the city. Just be careful that you’re not “marked” as a tourist. I’ve seen enough episodes of Barney Miller to know how that will end (I’m still living in 1978 I guess.)