Louisiana Books

Like its companion volume Generals in Blue, Generals in Gray is an important resource for both the Civil War buff and the serious historian (which is not to say that the two can't be one and the same!). In this volume, which was actually written before Generals in Blue, author Ezra Warner has written the biographies and rustled up the photos of all the general officers confirmed by the Confederate Congress, and a handful of those who weren't for one reason or another.

There were 425 men who served as Confederate generals. Nearly one-fourth of them died in the war. Boy generals, men promoted before they reached the age of 30, were plentiful, and nearly half of them were killed on the battlefield. Looking at their photographs, one can scarcely fathom the experiences they endured at such young ages. They look like college lads.

Several of the generals profiled by Warner especially stand out for me. There's William Flank Perry, for example, the philosopher-general, who enlisted as a private in 1862 and was commissioned a brigadier in the war's final months. After the war, he taught philosophy at Ogden College in Kentucky until the turn of the century. There's Alexander Reynolds, who at war's end entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt, and so must've known the tragic Federal General Charles Pomeroy Stone, of Ball's Bluff infamy, who did so as well. There's General John McCausland, who with his huge handlebar moustache and heavy eyebrows looks for all the world like Yosemite Sam of cartoon fame. And there's the boy general Thomas Benton Smith, a youngster whose fate breaks my heart. After he and most of his brigade surrendered during the Battle of Nashville, a Federal colonel tried literally to beat Smith's brains out. His brain exposed, in a coma, Smith was expected to die. But he somehow survived, only to spend the rest of his life, some 48 years, in an insane asylum.

.....but this one sure is. The Civil War is still a current event for many of us. For four long years, both sides were carried by their armies, and led by their Generals. Now, lots of us know about Lee and Jackson, but there were a total of 425 Confederate Generals over the course of the war, and some even I've never heard of. Of these, 299 were serving as General Officers at the end. A total of 77 were killed in battle; the rest died of natural causes, resigned, got fired, etc., etc.

They're ALL here, at least the ones that we can't argue about whether they were really a General. [There are others about whom we can argue, for various reasons--a separate book has come out in recent years...see "More Generals in Gray"]. While Lee has has more biographies than I can count, and many have at least one, for most of these guys, this is all we've got. Here we get pictures, pre and, where appropriate, post war careers, grave sites, and a study of just what the man accomplished [or didn't]. Robert E. Lee gets three and a half pages, but all get a good write-up.

They were a varied lot: six General Lees, six Jacksons, eight each of Smith and Walker. Professional soldiers, lawyers, politicians, even three preachers [Polk and Pendleton, you know; read this and find the third]. Some were heroic, some were drunks, a few were both. Some brilliant, some inept, one or two both. The post war lots of the survivors were as various as the men; poverty and wealth, glory and apostasy, and all points in between. Trivia: Who was the ONLY Confederate General born in Texas? Who was the last living Conferderate General? ONE man answers BOTH questions. [OK, I'll give it to you...Judge Felix Huston Robertson of Waco died April 20, 1928]. The very first American Indian to wear General's stars AND the last General to surrender...he's here, in all his glory.

I can go on all day. The late Ezra Warner, Illinois native and California investment counsellor, published this in 1959...it needs to stay in print forever. While I've had this, and the companion "Generals in Blue", for years, only recently has a trade paperback made it readily available, and affordable. A "thank you" to the publisher, and a huge, everlasting, "THANK YOU" to Mr. Warner.

This book is a must for any Civil War buff. Learn the good, bad and the ugly about all general officers of the army of the CSA. I keep this book, and its companion, Generals in Blue, handy when I am reading historical accounts of battles of the Civil War. How often, while you are reading, have you yearned to get additional information on a particular general? These books are perfect to provide more information, when you want it.

Warner does an excellent job in giving short biographies on all 425 Confederate generals, including a picture of each general. An excellent reference guide and a must have for your Civil War library.

I remember first reading Generals in Gray as a teenager and have often referred back to the book over the years.

Warner gives a synopsis of each general , usually containing the following information:

1. Birthplace and birthdate.
2. Pre-Civil War life.
3. Battles served in, promotions, woundings, death (if applicable).
4. Postwar career (if he survived the war).
5. Death and place burial.
6. Brief mention of the general's competency (or lack thereof).
7. Relationships with other generals (superior, subordinate).

I have often found the book to be extremely helpful when reading a book on a particular Civil War battle. Doing so helps me to better understand the general when studying a particular battle.

Whether you have a serious interest in the Civil War or a novice, I highly recommend the book as an excellent reference!

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to a 10-year-old. It was a straightforward-enough story, and children are not known for their discrimination. That said, as a librarian who reads a great deal of children's literature, I was very underwhelmed. The characters were wooden and fairly two-dimensional, the story competent but clunky, and I saw every single plot 'twist' coming.

Instead, I would highly recommend Vivian Vande Velde's ghost stories, Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, The House With a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs, The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix (more fantasy than ghost story) and King in the Window by Adam Gopnik.

Death affects people in many different ways. Children also have a range of emotions when a loved one is facing a serious illness such as cancer. I still remember one of my former students drawing pictures of a large cross next to his mother right after she died. That was his way of coping. In the book GIVING UP THE GHOST, Sheri Sinykin weaves in the emotions of a young girl who's mother is in remission from cancer, going to help a great-aunt who is dying, and the ghost of a young girl. All these elements work to make a very compelling story.



Thirteen-year-old Davina is scared of many things. One of her biggest fears is that her mother's cancer will return.

That summer Davina and her parents go to help her elderly Aunt Mari with in-care home hospice care. This only increases Davina's fears. And to make matters worse is Emilie, the ghost of a 19th century young Creole girl who lives in her great-aunt's deserted plantation. Emilie wants Davia to be her friend. But Davina finds Emilie to be spoiled and unpredictable. While her aunt's health deteriorates, they both grow closer. Aunt Mari tells stories of sudden ends and regrets. Also she tells Davina she needs to help Emilie in order to release her spirit from Belle Foret.

I love how the author deals with death in this story. Especially with how a teen would feel about ovarian cancer. I felt the emotions of Davina were very realistic. Another thing I liked was how Davina wasn't afraid to be with her aunt even when she knew she'd die. Together they helped each other face their fears. Davina also learns a valuable lesson from Emilie, one that sets both of them free.

This story addresses a paranormal theme in a whole different light. I loved the premise of a haunted Louisiana plantation with secrets. I recommend this book to those who are looking for a paranormal story with a twist. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Davia, a thirteen-year-old girl, is haunted by Emilie, a tortured,
mean-spirited ghost. Davia tries to piece together the circumstances
surrounding Emilie's death while also comforting her beloved Aunt
Mari who is dying. Davia and her aunt hope to release
Emilie's spirit, but they must do so before Aunt Mari passes into the next world. Davia
discovers that Emilie had hopes of becoming a doctor. Emilie's
nineteenth century parents, however, had other plans for her. How did she escape her fate?

"Giving Up the Ghost" is an appealing ghost story as well as a
realistic account of the emotional trauma of watching a loved one
die. Having gone through the death of my mother recently, it was especially relevant for me. Others will also find themselves thinking about some of life's most difficult questions.

Sheri Sinykin has written a very important book--the book I wish I'd been given to read when, as a young adult, I experienced for the first time the death of a grandparent. On the surface, "Giving Up the Ghost" works just fine as a ghost story, and young readers will appreciate it as such. On a deeper level, however, it explores the fundamental questions all kids are confronted with when faced with the loss of a loved one: How do people die? What should I expect if I'm helping to care for someone who is terminally ill? What happens after someone dies? Although never didactic, the book provides some solid information. And finally, protagonist Davia and her family will impart reassurance to Sinykin's readers: that it's OK to ask questions, it's OK to be afraid, it's OK to let someone go, it's OK to forgive yourself and others. I found myself thinking about this book long after turning the last page.

Nearly every family has an eccentric member who seems odd to the rest of the clan. However, not many of us will be called to their bedside as a nursemaid when the individual is dying. That's what happened to Mr. and Mrs. Peters and their daughter Davia when they decided to care for Mrs. Peters' great-aunt Mari. Arriving in the humid, summer heat of a former southern plantation, Davia is surprised to find her relative living in a converted barn. Aunt Mari refuses to live in the big, haunted mansion on the vast estate. With her list of fears in hand, Davia and her family, including a self-righteous cat named GG, take up residence at Belle Foret.

Not only is the family expected to cater to the whims of an old woman who cannot be pleased, Davia is also expected to befriend Emilie, the ghost who haunts the grounds where she lived and died more than a hundred years before. Aunt Mari cannot "give up the ghost" and cross over in peace until Emilie does. However, the ghost has a secret that must come out in order to cross over and find peace in the afterlife. "Save me!" Davia must uncover the secret from the prankster spirit and help her forgive herself--a very tall order for two teenaged souls.

Davia is only fourteen, but mature for her age. She is not only dealing with the imminent death of her newly acquainted relative and the needs of a teenaged ghost, she is also coping with the aftermath of her mother's cancer treatment. Is her mom really in remission or is there something her parents aren't telling her? This book delves into the emotions of this brave, young girl and gives an example of how to deal with death by facing reality head on.

Sheri Sinykin did an excellent job with telling this story from Davia's point of view. Her writing style is top-notch. I was engaged from the first page and could not put this book down. I hated to see the end because I had fallen in love with every character--even old Aunt Mari and the cat that decided to become her best friend.

If you are facing the death of a loved one or are assisting with the care of an aging family member, Giving up the Ghost is a must-read. Although the book is geared toward a teen reader, any adult can appreciate its solid foundation and grown up treatment of a topic that most people fear.

This book review written by Yvonne Perry www.yvonneperry.net

This was a gift for my husband. He loves it! It is about more than just football. It has heart.

"Hurricane Season" is a true story about triumph through hardship for a private Christian school's football team in New Orleans overcoming the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. This book takes a personal look at the devastation that Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita caused within six weeks. It's about a High School football coach's and his players' commitment to their school and team in midst of chaos and turmoil. It's about how football can pull a community together. I particularly liked reading how the coach motivated his players and how he taught them to be men. It was heartwarming to see how much the coach loved his players and cared about their personal lives and not just how they played football.

Another aspect that really touched me was J.T.'s close relationship and admiration for his father. His father built the school and was a big part of the football team. After the father died, J.T. still thinks of him often and wishes he could still run things past him. He feels a real sense of responsibility to make his dad proud and run the school well.

The ending of the book is very moving and emotional when the team finally gets to play football after it looked like they wouldn't even have a season. As I read about the games, it felt like I was right there in the stands watching and cheering for them. This book started out slow and was pretty sad, but is definitely worth reading to get an inside look at what the people of New Orleans went through during Katrina and how a football team really jelled. It certainly made my few problems look totally insignificant in comparison.

Karen Zemek, author of My Funny Dad, Harry

I can't say enough good things about this book!! This book is remarkable!! It tells the story about how people dealt with Hurrican Katrina and the aftermath and a remarkable man, J. T. Curtis, Head football coach and principal of the John Curtis Christian School. How he and his family brought together a school and the football team is an unbelievable story. Their story will make you cry, laugh and cheer!! I really enjoyed this book A LOT!!!

Gerard Zemek
Husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

Hurricane season is an excellent complement to Douglas Brinkley's " The Great Deluge." While Brinkley provides an excellent analytical and scholarly account of Hurricane Katrina that should set the standard for many years; Hurricane Season captures the powerful emotional dimensions. Though grounded in the story of a high school football team, it transcends normal sportswriting by speaking to the bigger panorama of life, suffering, loss, and inspiring tales of recovery and fortitude.
With so many aspirations and dreams hanging in the balance, the J.T. Curtis School and football team regroup after enduring catastrophe and devastation and become a beacon of hope and solace for many of the victims.
Replete with an abundance of anecdotes and personal accounts, Thompson weaves their stories into a gripping narrative that will find appeal among readers of all genres. This is a stirring and fast paced treatment of those perilous days that is both wrenching and redeeming.

The Patriots are a football team that plays for a Christian school John Curtis. Members of the founder's family, his five children and grandchildren make up part of the faculty members at the school. They aren't just a school; they are more like a family. They have taken football members into their homes for extended periods of time.

The Patriots have a great team due largely to their head coach J.T. Curtis, son of John Curtis. "Hurricane Season," the story, takes place in August 2005. The Patriots are preparing to play their first pre-season game, which they do, and it's a shut out in their favor. Unfortunately, hurricane Katrina is coming through the state. Katrina will drastically change John Curtis School and students' lives dramatically. Readers glimpse the struggles shared by each family during and after the storm.

J.T. is determined to get his football team back together for some normalcy. While many of the players have been relocated, J.T. realizes that getting the guys back on the field will be a big help to them mentally.

Neal Thompson has written a very good book that should be read by everyone. A true story, while reading you feel as if you're actually there in New Orleans and very much apart of the school, their family and face all of their triumphs. After finishing "Hurricane Season" I went to the website just to get information on the school and the players.

Reviewed by: Carmen
Also agree with the one reviewer who says that if you enjoy Friday Night Lights.

This, the first in Fred Chappell's tetralogy of books about Joe Robert Kirkman and his family, consists of ten stories about ten-year-old (at the start of the book) Jess Kirkman's encounters with four of his mother's relatives, the live-in hired hand on the Kirkman farm, and some of their neighbors. Chappell's narration veers from straightforward fiction to fantasy, telling of the gusto and humor with which Joe Robert meets life. I found myself laughing out loud and slapping my knee at some of the passages, while being touched deeply by the novel's underlying theme of belonging to a family, a place, and a tradition.

Called a novel, "I Am One Of You Forever" is really a collection of short stories that are unified as the adventures of a 14 year old boy growing up in the mountains of western North Carolina. These stories cover the spectrum of human experience; love, tragedy, the supernatural, family, comedy. All the stories are made magical by the observations of the especially well-read and intelligent young narrator/persona.
Easily one of the funniest books I've ever read, I think I rarely went more than a page without a good laugh. The book also has some of the most poignant passages I've ever read, those dealing with the death (always a dominant theme in Southern literature).
A well-written book, Southern through and through, and appropriate for young teen-agers as well as adults. The book's title serves as the answer to a question posed as the story's last line, thus giving the book a wonderful circularity. Read this book; you won't be sorry.

This novel, really a series of interconnected short stories about a boy growing up in western North Carolina in the 1940s, is my favorite so far by North Carolina's poet laureate Fred Chappell. The prose is simple, the characters are vivid and colorful, and the stories have depth. Chappell's style works best when the stories follow believable plot lines; his penchant for tall tales sometimes falls flat. I especially could have done without the chapter entitled "The Beard," even though I could see the metaphor Chappell was attempting to capture in that story. Other than that, I thought the book was sincere, funny, and often breath-taking. The finest moment for me was the chapter "The Wish," which encapsulates everything I would like to say myself about life in the Southern Appalachians. The book is worth reading just for that one chapter. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys the works of such writers as Tony Earley, Charles Frazier, Robert Morgan, Kaye Gibbons, and Wilma Dykeman, although Chappell is funnier than all of them. Think a modern Mark Twain.

This is a great book, and features some of the greatest trends in Southern Literature. The plot is good and the family is absolute funny. It will keep you laughing to the last page.

I read this book originally for a class in college--so I went into reading it thinking "ugh."

But not only did I love it--not only did it make me laugh, cry, roll my eyes, and a range of other emotions--but when I shared it with the rest of my family, they had the same reaction. All of us have read it, it's that good (and we don't usually agree on what's good). It is full of tall tales and mischief and is a fabulously, fabulously amazing book.

If Nights Could Talk is a good memoir. Marsha Recknagel describes her past and present with honesty and humor.

I could not put this book down. Not only does the story keep you on the edge of your seat, but the author tells it with such grace and eloquence.

I respect the opinion of the reviewer who said that Recknagel's book was not his or her "cup of tea," but I don't understand how one could criticize Recknagel for belaboring her own suffering. This book is a brilliant and poignant account of one woman's struggle to create/recreate a family, and the suffering that she endures while accomplishing this anchor the memoir in reality. I felt, contrary to the other reviewer, that Recknagel was amazingly self-aware of her own insecurties, vulnerabilties, and subjectivity. Would the story have been better if Recknagel left out the gritty and painful details? Surely not. There's a reason why this book has been as highly recommended as it has: it presents a realistic struggle-- with all of its complications.

I found the book captivating. I know the courage Marsha must have to write these Memoirs. I am so proud to have known the little girl and now the adult woman. Her sister Gail should be praised for rescuing Jamie.I could not close the book until the last page.
I ran the full spectrum of emotions-- loved the book. The telling of the story carries you forward with the need to know more. I hated for the story to end. I am so proud of you Marsha......And Gail, she knows why.

I had the wonderful pleasure of having Marsha for my creative writing instructor several semesters ago when she first sent this book off for publishing. I have been in great anticipation of it since then and it did not let me down! Having known Marsha personally and some of her story, her word was every bit as moving and powerful in her written accounts and packs even more of a punch at her readings of this book. A tearjerker for sure, it will inspire you to read to the last page when at last you sigh and have to put it down, ready to rest.

This book is wonderful, it contains a 3 series story in one book.

Sharon Arms Doucet brings three "trickster tales from the Louisiana bayou" to life in this marvelous collection of Cajun, Creole folklore. Meet Compere Bouki. "...He owned a farming field full of Delta soil so rich that if you planted a penny at sunrise, you could pick a dollar before sundown. But as for smarts, he must have been hiding behind the barn door when they were passed out." And meet his friend, prankster, Compere Lapin. "...He could find more ways to get out of work than there are fleas on a possum. But Lapin, him, he'd got an extra helping of smarts." Bring this dynamic duo together, and you have the makings of engaging and entertaining stories that are sure to tickle the funnybone as Lapin cleverly outwits Bouki over and over again with his tricks and pranks. Ms Doucet's witty text is sprinkled with French expressions and Bayou colloquialisms and phrases. Illustrator, Scott Cook's intricate and expressive artwork is filled with energy, humor, and lots of eye-catching detail. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that just begs to be read aloud and shared. With a glossary of words and terms, at the beginning, to help get you started, Lapin Plays Possum is storytelling at its very best, and is sure to be a folktale crowd pleaser that shouldn't be missed.

Sharon Arms Doucet brings three "trickster tales from the Louisiana bayou" to life in this marvelous collection of Cajun, Creole folklore. Meet Compere Bouki. "...He owned a farming field full of Delta soil so rich that if you planted a penny at sunrise, you could pick a dollar before sundown. But as for smarts, he must have been hiding behind the barn door when they were passed out." And meet his friend, prankster, Compere Lapin. "...He could find more ways to get out of work than there are fleas on a possum. But Lapin, him, he'd got an extra helping of smarts." Bring this dynamic duo together, and you have the makings of engaging and entertaining stories that are sure to tickle the funnybone as Lapin cleverly outwits Bouki over and over again with his tricks and pranks. Ms Doucet's witty text is sprinkled with French expressions and Bayou colloquialisms and phrases. Illustrator, Scott Cook's intricate and expressive artwork is filled with energy, humor, and lots of eye-catching detail. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that just begs to be read aloud and shared. With a glossary of words and terms, at the beginning, to help get you started, Lapin Plays Possum is storytelling at its very best, and is sure to be a folktale crowd pleaser that shouldn't be missed.

Sharon Arms Doucet brings three "trickster tales from the Louisiana bayou" to life in this marvelous collection of Cajun, Creole folklore. Meet Compere Bouki. "...He owned a farming field full of Delta soil so rich that if you planted a penny at sunrise, you could pick a dollar before sundown. But as for smarts, he must have been hiding behind the barn door when they were passed out." And meet his friend, prankster, Compere Lapin. "...He could find more ways to get out of work than there are fleas on a possum. But Lapin, him, he'd got an extra helping of smarts." Bring this dynamic duo together, and you have the makings of engaging and entertaining stories that are sure to tickle the funnybone as Lapin cleverly outwits Bouki over and over again with his tricks and pranks. Ms Doucet's witty text is sprinkled with French expressions and Bayou colloquialisms and phrases. Illustrator, Scott Cook's intricate and expressive artwork is filled with energy, humor, and lots of eye-catching detail. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that just begs to be read aloud and shared. With a glossary of words and terms, at the beginning, to help get you started, Lapin Plays Possum is storytelling at its very best, and is sure to be a folktale crowd pleaser that shouldn't be missed.

Sharon Arms Doucet brings three "trickster tales from the Louisiana bayou" to life in this marvelous collection of Cajun, Creole folklore. Meet Compere Bouki. "...He owned a farming field full of Delta soil so rich that if you planted a penny at sunrise, you could pick a dollar before sundown. But as for smarts, he must have been hiding behind the barn door when they were passed out." And meet his friend, prankster, Compere Lapin. "...He could find more ways to get out of work than there are fleas on a possum. But Lapin, him, he'd got an extra helping of smarts." Bring this dynamic duo together, and you have the makings of engaging and entertaining stories that are sure to tickle the funnybone as Lapin cleverly outwits Bouki over and over again with his tricks and pranks. Ms Doucet's witty text is sprinkled with French expressions and Bayou colloquialisms and phrases. Illustrator, Scott Cook's intricate and expressive artwork is filled with energy, humor, and lots of eye-catching detail. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that just begs to be read aloud and shared. With a glossary of words and terms, at the beginning, to help get you started, Lapin Plays Possum is storytelling at its very best, and is sure to be a folktale crowd pleaser that shouldn't be missed.

Just as informative about the life of the Common Soldierwho served in the Northern ranks as his book The Life of Johnny Reb is of the soldier who apposed him thoughcleary better developed by the author's experience.

Very informative. Very well written.

A must have for anyone interested in the Civil War.

Like his companion book, Life of Johnny Reb, this book looks at how soldiers were recruited and kept by the Army. The Union had the advantage of an army already in being but its expansion to meet its wartime needs changed the very nature of the Federal Army. This is a fine book and one that any real Civil War buff should have.

The late Bell Wiley had an advantage that many researchers of the Civil War did not have: FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS FROM THE VETERANS THEMSELVES. Starting his research in the 1940's, Wiley was able to interview the aging veterans of the War. You can imagine what was going through these warriors minds as they recalled their past. Wiley also spent countless hours combing through letters, diaries, official documents and other papers to get his facts. Billy Yank tells the story of the Union soldiers as few have been able to capture. It covers more than just what the soldier wore, ate, used, etc. From his reasons for fighting, opinions of Lincoln, emancipation (pro AND con) officers, the Southern people, the topics are well covered. Reenactors of the conflict would benefit from this book. This is a gold mine of information for the "first person" impression. Even Southerners will gain insight into their former foes.

Bell Irvin Wiley seems to have been the first historian/writer to realize that the Civil War was not just about Lee, Pickett, Grant or Stuart or any of the other guys with stars on their shoulders. The real truth about what happened on those battlefields had to do with the guys in the tattered uniforms and the rotted shoes, trying to fight with defective rifles.
As in his companion book, "The Life of Johnny Reb", "The Life of Billy Yank: The Common Soldier of the Union" is an unflinching look at the constant struggles of a Union soldier. This is a very sobering account, and some of the letters the soldiers wrote home are nothing short of heartbreaking. This is a truly admirable account of men who were more than common soldiers. I believe they were really common heroes.

Bell Irvin Wiley (1906-1980) enjoyed a distinguished career as a professor at the University of Mississippi and Emory University and as the author or editor of over 20 books on the Civil War. His "The Life of Billy Yank: the Common Soldier of the Union" (1952) is, together with its companion volume "The Life of Johnny Reb, the Common Soldier of the Confederacy (1943), Wiley's best-known work. It presents an outstanding history of the day-to-day life of the soldier in the Union Army.

As Wiley stated in the preface to the book, his focus was "social rather than military". The book offers little of the military history of the various Civil War campaigns and little of the political aspects of the War. Rather, Wiley discusses soldering in the Union Army in all its detail and drudgery. It is an indispensable source for those wishing to understand the Civil War. The book would be of interest as well to reenactors wishing to get inside and recapture life in a Civil War Army.

The book is well-researched and documented. It draws upon the letters and diaries of innumerable Union soldiers, both published and unpublished and on other first-hand accounts. Much of the discussion is anecdotal, but Wiley makes good use of census and statistical data as well. The book is clearly written with an obvious empathy for the life of the Civil War soldier. The book leads the reader beyond its specific subject and encourages reflection of the Civil War, its terrible human cost, and its continuing importance to our country.

Wiley begins with a discussion of the recruitment process into the Union Army following the attack on Fort Sumter. The book gives a good picture of the complex relationship between state militia units, the regular army, the volunteers and the draftees -- the various units that uneasily combined to form the Union army. Bell discusses -- in a subject that continues to fascinate historians -- the motivations of the soldiers who served in the conflict. In particular, he discusses the Emancipation Proclamation and considers the extent to which Emancipation was or became a goal for a large number of Union troops. Wiley sees the many sides of this question, and the issue remains one that is vigorously discussed.

The book describes well the rigors of training and camp life, the diseases and unhealthy living conditions which plagued the army, the boredom and enforced routines, the bad food, temptations to vice, and experience of combat. There is excellent material in the book on the organization of the Union Army. Much of the material in Wiley's study is either presupposed or otherwise not covered in other well-known studies of the military of political history of the War. The book considers the morale and fighting spirit of the men and how it varied with the fortunes of war and with the support of people at home. Again, anticipating more recent studies, Wiley discusses the ambiguous, complicated relationships that developed during the War between the Union troops and their enemies in gray. This relationship, and the instances of fraternization during the midst of a total conflict, presaged the way for reconciliation, at long last, at the conclusion of the conflict. There is a brief discussion in the book of women soldiers who enlisted in the Union army and sometimes managed to avoid detection. This subject too has received much recent attention and it is interesting to see Wiley deal with it in his early account. The book ends with reflections on the way in which the Civil War helped forged the United States into a nation.

This is a study that wears its age well. It will bring the reader face-to-face with the life of the Union soldier during our nation's greatest combat.

This beautiful book with a purpose deserves the 10 national awards it has won. It is poetic, haunting, poignant and touching. The prose and the pictures transport you to another place. Anyone who loves New Orleans will not want to miss having this book on his or her coffee table! But read it, too! The author won the PMA Benjamin Franklin Award 2007 for "Best New Voice Nonfiction" and the book also won the "Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book." A treat for all the senses, the eyes and the heart.

This is a great book: it is a passionate "love song" dedicated to New Orleans. The photos and text will tug at your heartstrings.

WOW...what a big beautiful book! For anyone who has a connection to New Orleans...buy it...give it...treasure it...well written, throughly researched, amazing photos and layout...sure to be an award winner! Thanks for putting your heart into this volume!

No ordinary coffee table photography book, "Orleans Embrace With The Secret Gardens Of The Vieux Carre" is a 388-page memoir of the New Orleans French Quarter featuring 49 historic black-and-white photographs and 320 full color illustrations. While the overall book draws from the previous work of Roy F. Guste, Jr., the photographs by Louis Sahuc are bonded with a personal and compelling narrative text by T. J. Fisher. Readers will encounter a work originally intended to be of local interest, but in a post-Katrina world, has emerged with universal attraction as a memorial and a motivation to restore a once great American city to its unique and original glory. Enthusiastically recommended, "Orleans Embrace With The Secret Gardens Of The Vieux Carre" will prove to be of immense interest to several categories of readership including: gardening enthusiasts, historians, architects, photographers, and anyone who has every walked along the avenues and admired the parks, gardens, and buildings of the New Orleans French Quarter.

Read this book. Highly recommended.

Being born & raised in Southwest Louisiana, I learned how to cook from generations before me. This cook book is the closest thing to real Southwest Louisiana food. I have had my copy for numerous years and have worn it out but continue to use it. I give this book as a gift on every occasion that is appropriate (& some that are not). This is the only book I would recommend to anyone with an interest in Cajun food. It's awesome! Karen - Lake Charles, Louisiana transplanted to Omaha, Nebraska.

I've had (earlier printing - plastic bound) version of this cook book for at least 25 years. I absolutely love it. Unfortunately, after much use the binding broke and my cook book was a total mess, although I still frequently used it. I actually went online to order one for my new daughter-in-law and was delighted to see it in hard cover. So, I bought four (my daughter-in-law, my daughter, one as a gift for a friend and another for myself). I am delighted with the quality of this cook book. I come from a long line of great cajun cooks (my mom and both sister also have the cook book). I've eaten cajun food all of my life. These recipes are delicious, truly cajun and easy to prepare. The informative welcome to each section is a delightful extra. I would strongly recommend this cook book for anyone who enjoys cooking delicious meals. I will purchase them again for gifts for friends and family.

I think every single woman I know has this cookbook. It's as if you get one after a certain age as a "right of passage" or something in this town. I have this cookbook, my mother has it and my Grandmother had it. We have never ran across a recipe in this book that was not great! Buy it! You will NOT be disappointed.

Octavia's Fried Chicken is the best, most foolproof fried chicken in the world. Octavia: whereever you are out there, thanks for making me EXTREMELY popular!

I have had this cookbook for many years. I first purchased it back in 1977, and it is without a doubt the best in authentic Cajun cooking. My original Pirate's Pantry finally fell apart from many years of use; but, although I recently replaced it, I still have my old original stuffed into a manila envelope. I love this cookbook!!!

This was in my opinion, the best book in the series. The setting is absolutely captivating and it makes the whole story take on an interesting, refreshing air. For me as a Christian, the part with the voodoo priestess was very thought provoking. The part also showed that Shiloh still had some major weaknesses and supports Cheney's later reasons for keeping her distance from him in the area of romance. The aunts were well-written, lovable and sometimes humorous characters. You won't want to miss the funny part later on in the book that invloves Shiloh and hairpins.

Great story:ghosts, mystery, romance. However, an interpreter would be nice. Or even a footnote translation.

This book introduces several new characters that you'll get to know as well as the main characters in the 4 previous books. It takes place at a Louisiana plantation owned by Cheney's great-aunts Marye and Elyse.

Aunt Elyse is sometimes absent-minded, but is funny and loveable. Aunt Marye, in contrast, seems overly strict, but deep down loves her visiting relatives and their friends. The lovestruck Chloe, a daughter of Aunt Elyse and Aunt Marye's butler and cook, chases after Shiloh so openly that I wanted to smack her, but she gets what she deserves in the end, especially when they discover she's helping the voodoo group trying to take over the plantation.

This is an excellent series and I enjoyed this book especially. The chapter where the family prepares to "fight against the powers and pricipalities" was well written, showing the importance of faith and honesty. I am anxiously awaiting #8, what will happen between Cheney and Shilo next? If you like this book check out "The Covenant of Love", also by Gilbert Morris.

I read this book and finished in 2 days! I loved it. My sister gave me #6 and I finished it in 3 days. I had to buy #7 (my favorite) and loved it also. This is a great series. I recommend this to almost anybody.