Armies of Deliverance by Elizabeth R. Varon provides a sweeping, comprehensive, and eminently readable introduction to the U.S. Civil War. Recently published by Oxford University Press in 2021, Varon’s bold yet unassuming 531-page scholarly tome…
How does a wanna-be U.S. Civil War history buff play at learning? If you want to develop a more detailed understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War Cycling’s “Master Gettysburg July 3 with Interactive…
I am convinced more than ever that we need to put the play back into our study of American history. Mostly, I play on my bike. But in cold weather, I play with interactive history…
Do you love U.S. Civil War history but feel overwhelmed with all the names, places, and jargon? Been there, done that! Today’s Civil War Cycling blog post announces the availability of a set of anonymous…
Have you ever thought about the pre-war life of the Gettysburg soldier? Most were very young men, in their early twenties. Officers were not much older. These men had jobs as teachers, engineers, carriage makers,…
If you can buy only one history book to prepare for your bicycle trip to Gettysburg, I recommend that you first consider your needs. Okay, that may sound obvious. But if you have never planned…
I begin with a personal comment: My interest in American Civil War history accelerated after my kids grew up. I like to think it’s because I started to have more time to read and reflect….
Sometimes, the best books are written for kids but read by adults. My top pick for the simplest ever introduction to Gettysburg goes to MacKinlay Kantor. Originally written in 1952, this little classic for middle-school children…