New books offer fresh perspectives

Though the causes and campaigns have all been examined by ranks of historians, many books are coming this spring for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s start on April 12, 1861, when Confederate guns fired on Fort Sumter. More than 100 books offer unexpected angles and fresh interpretations of the battles and key figures we thought we knew. • Article

Do you agree with this list?

Glenn W. Lafantasie, a professor of history at Brown University, posts his list of the best 12 Civil War books. Putting together such a list is, of course, a nearly impossible task, he concedes. All of his choices were published after WWII. Do you agree with his choices? Post a comment below or on the Picket Facebook page. • Article

Book review: Memorable days in '65

A new book about the end of the Civil War focuses on the Union's rush to capture Jeff Davis and the 1,500-mile to return President Abraham Lincoln's remains to Illinois. According to publisher HarperCollins, "James Swanson masterfully weaves together the stories of two fallen leaders as they made their last expeditions through the bloody landscape of a wounded nation." • Review

Picket poll: Reading material

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