For a better future, study the past.
Join me on Saturday, August 2 from noon until 3pm at the Books a Million in Merritt Island for a book signing of my new release Florida Scoundrels published by Arcadia Publishing.
If you can’t make it, you can order through AMAZON or from ARCADIA . Use my Arcadia discount link and save 15% on your purchase.
Dunkerly, Robert M. The Lower Battlefield of Antietam: The Forgotten Front of America’s Bloodiest Day. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2025. Index, bibliography, notes, order of battle, maps, b/w photos. ISBN 9781467159289, $24.99.
Use the Arcadia Publishing link and enter my discount code, REDD24, at checkout and save 15%.
This book is scheduled for release on July 15, 2025.
Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for supplying a complimentary review copy. A regular review will be forthcoming.
While Antietam remains one the most famous engagements of the Civil War, history largely overlooks the lower end of the battlefield.
Only here did the Confederates use Antietam Creek as a barrier, so it was the only place where Union troops had to force their way across. Here the Union army waged its final attack, and the Confederates launched their last counterattack led by A.P. Hill’s division. It might as well have been a different battle entirely from the more famed northern field.
Using dozens of journals, diaries, newspaper accounts and reports, author Robert M. Dunkerly examines the action in detail and explores the gradual preservation of this oft-neglected portion of America’s bloodiest battle.
Robert M. Dunkerly is a historian who is active in historic preservation. He has authored seventeen books about the American Revolution, Civil War and other topics. Dunkerly has served as president of the Richmond Civil War Round Table, taught classes at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and Central Virginia Community College and writes for the Emerging Civil War and Revolutionary War blogs. He has visited more than one thousand battlefields worldwide.
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Nese, Jon M. and Jeffrey J. Harding. The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2025. ISBN 9781467158466. Notes, maps, color and b/w images. 238 pages, 206 pages of text. $24.99
Order your copy on Amazon by clicking the image or link above. Order directly from the publisher by clicking THIS LINK and use my special discount code REDD24 and save 15%.
This book has received considerable early interest and has words of praise from licensed battlefield guides, academics, weather professionals, and expert National Park Service employees. I am looking forward to reading this.
Thank you for your interest in my book review of Hidden History of Civil War South Carolina written by D. Michael Thomas.
Thomas, D. Michael. Hidden History of Civil War South Carolina. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2025. ISBN 9781467158077. 141 pages, 126 pages of text. Index, bibliography, notes, b/w photos. $24.99.
Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for providing a complimentary review copy of this work. Order directly from Arcadia using my discount link and save 15% on all titles ordered. You will receive free shipping on order of $50 or more.
Arcadia Publishing imprint The History Press has released several Civil War titles in the “Hidden History” series including mine on the state of Florida. Others that come to mind cover Tennessee, Savannah, and Oregon. Each author has their own thought on how the book should be set up. That is a strength and weakness of this series. While the book covers are often similar, the meat of the book is decidedly different in format, style, and substance. This can lead to confusion for some readers, who might expect the books to be similar.
Mr. Thomas wastes no time in putting forth his primary beliefs when he states “Though it is most commonly called the Civil War or the War Between the States, the most appropriate moniker is the War for Southern Independence (page 9). That aside, the book cover 50 stories, covering topics the author believes are rarely mentioned elsewhere, staying away from “great battles, leaders, and other topics covered numerous times by others…” That is a noble goal and perfect for this series. In fact, I followed this route when I declined to include Olustee in my own book.
Thomas breaks his subject matter into six major themes with subchapters in each. The themes include the early days, leadership, blockade of South Carolina’s coast, naval operations, soldiers’ stories, and postwar years and remembrance. The individual chapters in each subject are usually short; two to three pages at most, allowing for the book to be easily picked up and put down.
With South Carolina being the first state to secede, I was disappointed to not find an in depth look at secession, how it came about, and the outcomes of the movement in the pre Confederacy days. Unionists are given no space in the book and the story of Robert Smalls (OK, maybe that’s not truly HIDDEN HISTORY) is not discussed. With 50 chapters being included, it seems there could be space carved out for these stories.
Arcadia is known for books which contain many b/w images to supplement the text. This title follows that template, though with maybe not as many as some Arcadia titles come with. The Library of Congress and Naval History and Heritage Command serve as primary sources for the photos in this book.
For those seeking a brief introduction to South Carolina Civil War history this might be a book you will enjoy. The chapters are brief which along with the notes and abbreviated bibliography will provide good starting points for further inquiry.
Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for providing a complimentary review copy of Hidden History of Civil War South Carolina. The book will be released in February, but is available now for pre-order. Please look for a review in the near future.
Thomas, D. Michael. Hidden History of Civil War South Carolina. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2025. 141 pages, 126 pages of text. B/W photos, index, bibliography, end notes. ISBN 9781467158077. $24.99.All of South Carolina’s history during the Civil War isn’t well known. Author D. Michael Thomas has uncovered fifty accounts of lost history pertaining to the state and its men during the war. These are stories of astounding chivalry and valor in the face of horrific tragedies, along with unprecedented events. A single South Carolinian captured nearly six hundred Union soldiers.
Lieutenant Alexander Chisolm had an extraordinary career. See the connection between South Carolina College and its Confederate generals. Learn little-known tales about naval operations from the Union and the Confederacy and witness the recovery of the state’s “Gettysburg Dead.” Join the author as he recounts these hidden stories and more.
I have had the pleasure of reading several books in the Civil War “Hidden History” series from Arcadia. Each is distinct and different in approach, content, and writing style.
First, is my personal book, Hidden History of Civil War Florida. You may order on Amazon, or signed copies are available in the shop on this website.
I have also read and reviewed titles in this series on Tennessee and Savannah, GA.
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Thank you for taking time to read my book review of Vicksburg National Cemetery, a release in the Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing.
Joyner, Elizabeth Hoxie. Vicksburg National Cemetery (Images of America). Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2024. B/W photos. ISBN 9781467161084, $24.99.
Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for providing a complimentary review copy of this book. This review is completely independent of their generosity.
The Siege of Vicksburg is usually thought of as the forgotten relative of the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg had all the glamour, including Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Three days worth of fighting and a visit later in 1863 from President Abraham Lincoln, and his few appropriate remarks, have forever sealed Gettysburg as the pivotal, turning point of the American Civil War.
Countering this eastern centric interpretation are those who feel that the leadership of Ulysses S. Grant, the siege of Vicksburg, and ultimately taking control of the entire Mississippi River are the events that truly turned the war in the favor of the Union.
No matter your interpretation of the events of June and July 1863, there can be no doubt that actions at Vicksburg played a crucial role in the outcome of the war over the remaining two years. Readers wanting to know everything there is to know about the Siege of Vicksburg (or as close as you can get to everything) are referred to the work of Civil War scholar Timothy B. Smith.
Elizabeth Hoxie Joyner is taking us on a visual tour of Vicksburg National Cemetery. This is not meant to be a history of the siege, though you will learn a bit in the short chapter introductions.
It is important to remember that this is Vicksburg NATIONAL Cemetery and contains burials from not only the Civil War but from other engagements. Chapters include
The images are heavy on headstones as might be anticipated. Readers will also find images of soldiers, nurses, cemetery landscapes, battlefield action, ships that men might have served on, military honors, and more. There are modern and vintage photos with period engravings sprinkled throughout.
The author is a retired Museum Curator at Vicksburg National Military Park. Ms. Joyner well prepared to have put together a book such as this.
For those wishing to learn more about Vicksburg National Military Park, please use THIS LINK.
Readers can find a listing of over 5,000 burials at Vicksburg National Cemetery by visiting FINDAGRAVE. While more than 17,000 are interred here, the vast majority from the Civil War era were unable to be identified. Those considered “famous” by Findagrave standards include Embury Dufree Osband, a brevet brigadier general, and a cenotaph recognizing congressman Robert Blair Campbell, who is buried in London.
To learn more about the National Cemetery Administration, find a listing of national cemeteries, and to apply online for interment in a national cemetery, please use THIS LINK.
For those interested in cemetery history, national cemeteries, or the Siege of Vicksburg, this is a recommended title. A reader can skim or read this book in any order. The captions are short, in keeping with the series, allowing readers who only have a few minutes to pick this up and not worry about time.
Arcadia books have increased in price over the last several years. They still offer a good value for the casual reader and they often make excellent souvenirs or keepsakes from a visit.
Lipscomb, Colby and Derrick Brown. Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site (Images of America). Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2024. 128 pages, b/w photos. ISBN 9781467160766, $24.99.
The Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing provides readers/viewers with a formula ready way to learn a brief history of a selected topic. Some teach more history than others and some titles are more needed than others. I think the argument can be made that Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site is a photo history that is needed.
Authors Colby Lipscomb and Derrick Brown have decades of experience at the battlefield as visitors and, currently, as staff members and this experience shows in their treatment of the material. As the authors themselves note, the book is not meant to be a retelling of the Battle of Bentonville, nor is it meant to be a history of the Bentonville community. Rather, “it is the authors’ fervent desire that these images relay the story of the struggles, victories, and labor that went into the creation of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site and making it the place it is.
Authors Lipscomb and Brown cover a wide swath of ground in a concise 128 pages that can easily be consumed in a single sitting. Chapter one is titled The Battlefield, as should be expected. Maps, period engravings, and photos of the primary players comprise the majority of the chapter.
The community of Bentonville and battlefield monuments and memorials are chapters two and three. These chapters contain a nice mixture of vintage and modern images. The Goldsboro Rifles monument takes center stage with several nice images throughout the years. This monument was erected by veterans of the battle years before the Historic Site was created . Begun in 1894 and unveiled in 1895, the marker is in memory of the Confederate dead.
The Harper House, built in 1855, served as the home to John and Amy Harper. During the war, Union troops occupied the home. The use it as a temporary hospital for troops from Sherman’s XIV Army Corps. This structure is the only war era building still standing at the site and as such it plays a significant role in this book. Images include former inhabitants, grounds, the home through the years, and renovation efforts. For me, however, the chapter went on too long, reaching twenty-four pages.
The chapter titled Establishing a Historic Site brings to life the 1950s and 60s efforts to create the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site. With images as diverse the signing of the property document, to parades, to fieldwork, and the development of the visitor’s center, this is a fascinating chapter. Several images show just how far museum exhibits have come in the last sixty years.
Programs and events are a key part of any historic site and Bentonville has been an active participant since inception. From a special Boy Scout badge to the development and expansion of annual reenactments, and the arrival of army staff rides, Bentonville is eager to share an accurate and true history of the battle and the events surrounding it. This enthusiasm leads to the final chapter, Bentonville in the 21st Century.
In 1999, the opening of a new visitor’s center allowed the battlefield to welcome more guests than they had previously encountered. The “Dean of Civil War Historians,” Ed Bearss; “the unofficial mayor of Bentonville,” Tim Westbrook; and Eric Wittenberg, among others set the stage for the modern Bentonville park . With ongoing archaeological work, reinterpretations, and archival research, Bentonville is not an overlooked, end of the war, encounter. Visitors will learn of the 80,000 soldiers who fought here on March 19-21, 1865.
This book helps provide a gateway for readers wanting to learn more about the waning days of the Confederacy. Through this easy to navigate volume, readers will find themselves developing an interest in this late war conflict. They can then move to full battle treatments. Recommended.
This book is not meant to be a retelling of the Battle of Bentonville. The authors do make two suggestions for readers interesting in learning more about this battle.
Mark L. Bradley authored the book Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville. Recommended by the authors as a companion book is Moore’s Historical Guide to the Battle of Bentonville. Both books are going on 30 years old.
For readers seeking a modern look at the battle in a concise and accessible format, you are referred to Calamity in Carolina: The Battles of Averasboro and Bentonville, March 1865. As part of the established Emerging Civil War series, this book is short, but full of detail, and comes with a budget friendly price of around $20.
Arcadia Publishing continues their role of releasing geographically specific works of history with their new book release Texas Coastal Defense in the Civil War written by William Nelson Fox.
From the publisherNavigate the often-overlooked history of the resolute defense of the Texas coast during the Civil War.
With volumes written on the Civil War, little attention has been given to the defense of the Texas coast. Most military-aged Texans had been dispatched across the Mississippi, but those left behind resolutely weathered naval bombardments and repulsed invasion attempts. It was only at the end of the conflict that Federal troops were able to make their way into South Texas, as the Confederacy prepared its last stand at Caney Creek and the Brazos River. From famous battles to obscure skirmishes, William Nelson Fox provides an account of the Lone Star State’s defensive strategies during the Civil War.
159 pages. Bibliography, index, notes, b/w photos. ISBN 9781467155618. Cover price $24.99.
Thank you for reading my post announcing Texas Coastal Defense in the Civil War. This new book release from Arcadia Publishing will add to the growing literature on the role of Texas and naval affairs during the Civil War years. Read my reviews of other Arcadia Publishing titles using THIS LINK.
Arcadia Publishing continues it’s role of releasing geographically focused works of history with their new book release, Historic Florida Churches, written by Joy Sheffield Harris.
Harris is the author of several prior Arcadia releases including A Culinary History of Florida: Prickly Pears, Datil Peppers, & Key Limes; The Florida Cracker Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from Cabin to Condo; and Florida Sweets: Key Lime Pie, Kumquats, & Citrus Candy. All of these titles sound delicious don’t they?
Harris, Joy Sheffield. Historic Florida Churches. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. 2024. ISBN 9781467155724, 24.99. 127 pages, 122 pages of text. Bibliography, b/w photos, color photos.
From the publisher:Over 200 years have passed since the first Florida church was established and today the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine has been restored to capture its original beauty. Pioneer Village Church at Shingle Creek is home to a replica of one the first churches built in the Kissimmee, the St. John’s Episcopal Church. The former St. Paul’s By-The-Sea is now the deconsecrated Beaches Chapel at The Beaches Museum and History Park in Jacksonville Beach. Travel throughout the state or enjoy the beauty of these and many more churches without leaving home.
Thank you for reading my post announcing Historic Florida Churches, a new book release from Arcadia Publishing. Read my reviews of other Arcadia Publishing titles using THIS LINK.
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