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cmbhusker 's review for:
In the Presence of Mine Enemies: War in the Heart of America 1859-1863
by Edward L. Ayers
I don't typically include "books for work" on here, but I'm including this one because I think it would appeal to someone with a more casual interest in the Civil War. The book stems from an interesting project--it does pretty in-depth research of two counties, one north and one south, before and during the US Civil War. The narrative tone is strong, but Ayers intersperses the words of the people in these counties with sections that help set broader context politically and militarily in the country, so you should be able to have some understanding of what these people are responding to, even without a strong grasp of the Civil War.
This is actually the third time I've read it, and I still really enjoy it. Most of the sources Ayers uses are newspapers, letters, and diaries, and so you do begin to feel that you understand the people in here and a little bit of the world in which they live. Most of my students (who bothered to read it) seem to have enjoyed it too, because it is far from "textbook-y."
This is actually the third time I've read it, and I still really enjoy it. Most of the sources Ayers uses are newspapers, letters, and diaries, and so you do begin to feel that you understand the people in here and a little bit of the world in which they live. Most of my students (who bothered to read it) seem to have enjoyed it too, because it is far from "textbook-y."