The only mushrooming book that will introduce you safely and with confidence to the not-so "underground" hobby of mushroom hunting and gathering.Gathering edible wild food is a wonderful way to forge a connection to the earth. Mushrooms are the ultimate local food source; they grow literally everywhere, from mountains and woodlands to urban and suburban parks to your own backyard. The Complete Mushroom Hunter will enrich your understanding of the natural wo...

At the beginning of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sought to bind important political leaders to the Union by appointing them as generals. The task was formidable: he had to find enough qualified officers to command a military that would fight along a front that stretched halfway across the continent. West Point hadn't graduated enough officers, and many of its best chose to fight for the Confederacy. Lincoln needed loyal men accustomed to organization, administration, and comman...

Filled with fresh interpretations and information, puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, Battle Cry of Freedom will unquestionably become the standard one-volume history of the Civil War. James McPherson's fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox. Packed with drama and analytical insight, the book vividly recounts the momentous episodes...

An epic, revelatory account of the Battle of Gettysburg, where George Meade, Lincoln's unexpected choice to lead the Union army, defeated Robert E. Lee and changed the course of the Civil War, from the award-winning author of James Monroe: A LifeBy mid-1863, the Civil War, with Northern victories in the West and Southern triumphs in the East, seemed unwinnable for Abraham Lincoln. Robert E. Lee’s bold thrust into Pennsylvania, if successful, could mean Sou...

This New York Times–bestselling biography follows President Lincoln through one fateful year as he rose to the moment of America's greatest crisis.As 1862 dawned, the American republic was at death's door. The federal government appeared overwhelmed, the US Treasury was broke, and the Union's top general was gravely ill. The Confederacy—with its booming economy, expert military leadership, and commanding position on the battlefield—had a clear view to victo...

**"James M. McPherson’s Tried by War is a perfect primer . . . for anyone who wishes to understand the evolution of the president’s role as commander in chief. Few historians write as well as McPherson, and none evoke the sound of battle with greater clarity." —The New York Times Book ReviewThe Pulitzer Prize–winning author reveals how Lincoln won the Civil War and invented the role of commander in chief as we know it**As we celebrate the bicentennial of L...

The second episode in this award-winning trilogy impressively shows how the Union and Confederacy, slowly and inexorably, reconciled themselves to an all-out war—an epic struggle for freedom.In Terrible Swift Sword, Bruce Catton tells the story of the Civil War as never before—of two turning points which changed the scope and meaning of the war. First, he describes how the war slowly but steadily got out of control. This would not be the neat, short, “limi...

Despite the abundance of books on the Civil War, not one has focused exclusively on what was in fact the determining factor in the outcome of the conflict: differences in Union and Southern strategy. In The Grand Design, Donald Stoker provides for the first time a comprehensive and often surprising account of strategy as it evolved between Fort Sumter and Appomattox. Reminding us that strategy is different from tactics (battlefield deployments) and operations (campaigns conducted ...

There was no more remarkable pair in the Civil War than Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan. At only 35 years old, McClellan commanded the Ohio troops early in the war, and won skirmishes for the Union in western Virginia. After the disastrous Union defeat at Bull Run in the summer of 1861, Lincoln sent word for McClellan to come to Washington, and soon elevated him to commander-in-chief of the Union army. But in the late summer and fall of 1861, things took a turn for the worst. Meticulo...

"A magnificent stylist . . . a first-rate historian. Familiarity with subject matter resulting from many years of study and narrative talents exceeding those of any other Civil War historian enable him to move along swiftly and smoothly and produce a story that is informative, dramatic, and absorbingly interesting." —Dr. Bell I. Wiley, after reading the manuscript of Never Call RetreatThe final volume of Bruce Catton's monumental Centennia...

An account of how America's greatest crisis began, by "the Civil War's master historical detective" (Stephen W. Sears, author of Chancellorsville).This groundbreaking book investigates the mystery of how the Civil War began, reconsidering the big question: Was it inevitable?The award-winning author of Andersonville and Lincoln's Autocrat vividly recreates President Abraham Lincoln's first year in office, from his inauguration thro...

An illustrated compendium of obscure facts and little-known wonders from the Civil War Era, a perfect gift for history buffs and Civil war enthusiasts.With three million soldiers scattered along a 10,000-mile front and more than 1,000 engagements, the Civil War was one in which fascinating anecdotes, colorful stories, humorous tales, and unusual coincidences were frequent. Historian Webb Garrison has gathered together these hidden gems in this fully illustrated and ...