Campaign Literature

Campaign books are a category in itself. Mostly, the book will pass or fail muster on the writer's merits and style. Many of the campaign books I've read have been well researched and documented. That is not the complete criteria. A writer must "take you there, make you smell the powder and hear the thunder of the cannons".
This achieved, you can now place yourself squarely in the action and find relevance and character in the story. All good stories have unique participants and circumstances. The writer must intertwine all the leading parts into a symphony of action. Some of the campaign studies I've read have read like fiction; they're that good. It's almost as if the writer had to make up some of the plot.
I think the historian knows that truth is quite often stranger than fiction. The good writer points out these irregularities and any idiosyncrasies or flaws of character to the forefront of the story. I quite often tell people who are interested in a subject that they are not reluctant readers; they just haven't found any writer worth reading yet. All subjects have good writers. You have to dig to find them. Unfortunately, sometimes that means wadding through some tedious stuff .
I was lucky to run across a few good writers from the beginning that so piqued my interest that later I had the patience to endure the struggle to find more. And more I found!
I read books today that are totally fascinating to me, but others find very boring or unattractive. I suppose it's because these early books increased my maturity to the point that now I can almost read anything. Indeed, it's been awhile since I left a book I started unread. It may take a month or two, but I'll get through it.
Writing this journal has helped me verbalize many of my thoughts on this subject. I've always told my students that journals or letter writing will improve your reading and thinking skills. I'm practicing what I'm preaching! Amazing, that. My mom always had more confidence in my writing that I did. If she could see me now...