Open Thread Wednesday

Five Civil War Books That You Need to Read in 2024.

(Remember this series from Time-Life Books? How many of you still have your set?)

The number of Civil War books released in recent years suggests that interest in the period is still strong. More importantly, it suggests that there are still plenty of subjects that need to be explored for the first time or revisited owing to new evidence and the posing of new questions.

It’s what makes the field so vibrant and endlessly fascinating. Though most of my reading and time was spent working on a biography of Robert Gould Shaw, I still managed to read a good number of Civil War books. A few of my favorites were featured in the annual “Best Of” list at the Civil War Monitor magazine.

This year promises to be just as exciting.

Here are five books that I can’t wait to read and that you should have on your radar as well.