The Civil War in 50 Objects
*Starred Review* This excellent collection of 50 Civil War artifacts is accompanied by beautifully written and incisive essays by acclaimed historian Holzer. Timed for publication to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the book’s 50 artifacts have been well selected in an effort to emphasize the personal, human aspects of the conflict. The contents of a footlocker belonging to a Union officer are both informative and eerily intimate. A faded daguerreotype of an elderly slave seems to imbue him with both dignity and courage. A lithograph printed by the virulently anti-Lincoln New York World attempts to stoke fears of miscegenation during the 1864 political campaign. A letter written by a New Yorker who chose to fight for the Confederacy is both passionate and poignant, considering that he later gave his life for the cause. For both Civil War buffs and general readers, this collection should be a treasure. --Jay Freeman