Your best read in 2014

[Eva Elisabeth]

So, what was your best read in 2014? (Why?)

My three favorites - I especially enjoyed getting new input (= why) from the "Last Confederate Heroes", "JWB Day by Day", and from "The Last Lincolns".

[RJNorton]

(01-04-2015 12:08 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  So, what was your best read in 2014? (Why?)

I do not think I have an absolute favorite, but one I really liked was Worst Seat in the House by Caleb Stephens. This is the first book I have read that really helped me understand the depth of the problems Henry Rathbone faced after the assassination. Caleb does an excellent job of explaining how Rathbone met all the criteria for PTSD. Highly recommended. (The book is also very well-illustrated.)

[Eva Elisabeth]

Yes, I second this, I find this a fascinating book, too!

[Wild Bill]

I like Stephens' book, too

[LincolnToddFan]

My favorite Lincoln books for 2014 were "How A Nation Grieves", "The Last Lincolns" and Betty's first-rate biography of Lewis Powell. I have to admit that before I read Betty's work Lewis mostly creeped me out, I only felt revulsion for him. I am still chilled by what he did but I could never hate the man now, Betty did such a good job of humanizing him. In fact it was difficult to come to the end, because I found myself wanting the guy to be spared even though of course he was not. I now feel horribly sad for every one of the conspirators who were hung for having the misfortune and poor judgement of getting involved with JWB.

Other books I greatly enjoyed in 2014 were "Michael and Natasha: The Life and Love of Michael II, the Last of the Romanov Tsars" by Rose and Donald Crawford, "The Fall of the House of Dixie" by Prof. Bruce Levine, and an excellent biography of first lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt by Sylvia Jukes Morris.

[Gene C]

I read two books by Ruth Painter Randall, "Lincoln's Sons", and "Mary Lincoln - Biography of a Marriage" that I thought were very good. She has a very enjoyable writing style.

Also liked "They Have Killed Papa Dead" by Anthony Pitch and "Sultana" by Alan Huffman

[L Verge]

I agree on Caleb's assessment of Rathbone as being an excellent work. I also thoroughly enjoyed American Queen, the bio of Kate Chase. It completely changed my view of the lady. I also found How To Be A Victorian a fun read.

[Thomas Thorne]

Best Civil War book:
Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Alan Guelzo

Other History/Biography:
Churchill: The Last Lion By William Manchester. Vol 3 was completed by Paul Reid

Now my ultimate fantasy is to witness a meeting between Churchill and Lincoln.
Tom

[Eva Elisabeth]

Tom, have you checked out this site?
http://lincolnandchurchill.org/

Thanks for all your replies!

[STS Lincolnite]

I liked Our One Common Country by James Conroy. Was about the Hamptom Roads Peace Conference which I knew very little about. The political posturing/ manueuvering was quite interesting.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Scott, I'm interested in reading that book, too - is it easy to follow? But first I'm waiting ever so patiently to receive and read "The Cause of All Nations".

Can anyone recommend a book on reconstruction?

[Sally]

I liked the Kate Chase bio "American Queen". It was not only an interesting biography, but a fascinating cultural history as well.

I also enjoyed "Backstage At the Lincoln Assassination"

[STS Lincolnite]

(01-05-2015 07:57 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Scott, I'm interested in reading that book, too - is it easy to follow? But first I'm waiting ever so patiently to receive and read "The Cause of All Nations".

Can anyone recommend a book on reconstruction?

I found Conroy's book easy to follow. It was also a pretty quick read as the narrative flowed pretty well and, for me at least, the book got better as it went along. My one dislike was that there were no reference citations within the narrative.

I have been looking for a readable, starter book on reconstruction as well. I did a little research (book reviews, etc.) and what I have decided to start with is Lincoln and Reconstruction by John C. Rodrigue. It was also recommended to me specifically as a good starter book on reconstruction. It is part of the Concise Lincoln Library series published by the Southern Illinois University Press. It is about 150 pages so I hope enough to hit the high points (and differentiate between Lincoln's ideas and what ended up being implemented) without getting too in depth (seems about right to start with).

[Thomas Thorne]

(01-05-2015 04:09 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Tom, have you checked out this site?
http://lincolnandchurchill.org/

Thanks for all your replies!

Many thanks for the link to the site. I discovered a risque Churchill story which is a first for me.

In Churchill's last book,"A History of the English Speaking Peoples",which one of his friends insisted should have been titled "Things in History Which Interest Me", the great man devoted a section to our Civil War.

He criticized Lincoln for firing his generals for losing one battle and accepted the bogus quote in which Lee said McClellan was his most formidable opponent.

As Churchill constantly lashed his generals for not being aggressive enough-"they always have an excuse for doing nothing"-and McClellan increasingly challenged Lincoln on political grounds,Little Mac would not have lasted 5 minutes with Churchill. I wonder where people like Halleck and Burnside would have been exiled to.

The idea that RE Lee respected McClellan is belied by Lee's audacious splitting of his army at the Seven Days and having the Potomac in his rear at Antietam.
Tom

[Linda Anderson]

(01-05-2015 09:00 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  

(01-05-2015 07:57 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Scott, I'm interested in reading that book, too - is it easy to follow? But first I'm waiting ever so patiently to receive and read "The Cause of All Nations".

I found Conroy's book easy to follow. It was also a pretty quick read as the narrative flowed pretty well and, for me at least, the book got better as it went along. My one dislike was that there were no reference citations within the narrative.

I also liked Our One Common Country. Conroy often uses contemporaries' descriptions of the different characters to great effect. There are almost 60 pages of end notes.

My favorite CW novel that I read this year was Good Lord Bird by James McBride which was very funny and moving.

I also started reading Bring Up the Bodies, the second in Hilary Mantel's trilogy on Thomas Cromwell who worked his way up from being the son of a blacksmith to become Henry VIII's chief minister. It's a fascinating story and very well written.