I have been remiss in this blog, as a reader can see. It has been over a year since my last post. My master's class has been taking a lot of my time.
I am currently reading The President-Elect. It is well written, but I am also remiss in this book. I started it last fall and wanted to follow it along according to the nov-march window of the text. I will attempt to post more often. :)

Battle of Atlanta

I have finished the book on the Atlanta campaign. It took a while because of school. I liked the narrative and the writer's style. It was not too technical or detailed. It basically was a light read. I was disappointed it did not have an order of battle indexed.
Excellent bibliography included in the backmatter. I liked the way the author ended the book with "the rest of the story, following the major players, and the city of Atlanta, through the rest of the war and into the end of the 19th century. It peaked and interest into reading a campaign study that is detailed in depth.
Reading more about the West and the last year of the war is something I want to peruse as well. I recommend the book for anyone who wants "light" reading of an important campaign in the war. I liked how the author pointed to the importance of the battle of Atlanta. Because of it, in part, Lincoln was re-elected. So the cause and effect can be argued, it saved the Union. A lot of ifs there, but it (the campaign) was instrumental in ending the war.
I give the book a "thumbs up!"

Long Time Since My Last Entry

I'm reading War Like a Thunderbolt by Russell Bonds. It's about the Atlanta Campaign of 1864. Good so far. I will leave judgment until I finish.
What I like to this point: Nancy's ancestor was in the 147th PVA; the part of the battle of Atlanta I read today was when his unit was involved. I went to his diary and read what he went through that day. Pretty cool connection. Nancy gave me his GAR reunion medal, and I've seen his sword. His diary makes the story come alive.
I can't wait until school is over this week. Although I'm taking 6 hrs. this summer at TWU, I will have some time for reading and writing. I'm tired lately, for sure.
My shoulder hurts, I'm burnt out with school, my Jack Daniels therapy is getting to me, and I am not blogging enough. Time to write and photoblog more!

It has been awhile....

I finished a good book on Lincoln's role as commander-in-chief. The book by McPherson called Tried by War is an excellent book on Lincoln's evolving role in choosing and using his commanders for the armies. I enjoyed the book because it was a survey type study. The subject has been done before so this was a refreshing perspective that was revisited and thoroughly researched. One knows that a McPherson book will be as objective as can be expected. His scholarship is outstanding. No one is ever without error when writing history. But you can count on his work. Any mistakes that may be made will not occur because of laziness or lack of focus. I did not find any errors in it. Because of the survey nature of the study, only the major points of Lincoln's administration were covered. It is a great read that is short and accurate.
It has been too long since I have blogged. Unfortunately, my studies are taking a great deal of my time. Most of my limited free time is spent reading, not writing. I am going to make a diligent effort to write more. Both here and elsewhere. We'll see you soon!

Xmas in November :)

A few weeks ago I hit the jackpot. (At Half Price Books in Austin).
I found a Harold B. Simpson title, Texas in the War 1861-1865. It is a 3rd edition and signed! It was pricey, but not prohibitive. I have been looking for this book for quite a while. Diligence pays off, hurray!
Several other titles that I obtained are: War and Thunder, The Battle and Burning of Atlanta by Russell S. Bonds, Vicksburg, Sentinels of Stone by Timothy T. Isabell (a coffee table picture book), Carrying the Flag by Gordon Rhea. These titles will be perused with extreme interest soon.
More soon. Family needs the computer and I do not have time to blog.

A Look Ahead

I am looking forward to a bit of a break.
I am planning to take a semester off of my Master's studies to focus on my AP classes at Sam. This will give me an opportunity to read a CW book or two.
I have several recent additions. Groom's study of Vicksburg is one. It looks good. I saw his lecture on BookTV and was impressed with what he had to say. I've read one of his books before.
I have several books previously blogged that I want to pursue. Notably the Texas Civil War artifact book.
I read some of a biography of Chamberlain and was not impressed. Had some writing/editing issues that bothered me. I'll try it later down the road.
I have a few Gettysburg books to read as well. I'm behind on my Gettysburg Magazine reading (about 10 issues!).
I would like to read a few of the Lincoln acquisitions too.
So much to read!

Difficult times!

Ugh! My Master's class has cramped my style! No time for CW books.
It isn't worth it. I must have my CW reading! Life is too short to not read CW literature.
I knew I'd have to sacrifice a lot for this class. But it is not worth it. I am thinking that the whole Master's thing is not my thing.
What is the payoff? Will I use it? Am I a reading specialist? Besides having read over a thousand books during the last 20-plus years, what does it all mean?
All the reading and writing I do makes me who I am. These CW books, close readings, writing, and fiction all make me the teacher that I am.
To what purpose? If I could pursue a History degree, I think I'd do it. It is not the course. In fact, I've made 9.5's and 10's on all my work. It is not the reading or writing that I dislike. I am jealous of the time it takes away from my reading and writing.
Ugh.
I'd promised I'd keep this blog just about CW books.
As you can see from the last entry...not much has been read in this area.
Ugh!