Author Archives: Rich & Tracy Y

Civil War Podcast, Episode 90

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the Second)

In which we discuss the Battle of Fort Henry, which took place on February 6, 1862.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson Campaign, February 1862 by Kendall D. Gott.

“Some historians argue that the pivotal action of the Civil War was not Antietam or Gettysburg, but the twin Confederate losses at Fort Henry and Donelson, the battles that opened the way for the Union juggernaut to penetrate the Southern heartland and carve it into pieces, though it would take three years to accomplish. Kendall Gott’s Where the South Lost the War is our first comprehensive look at these turning points in some years, and is especially good on the oft-dismissed Fort Henry operations. It should establish itself as the standard word on both engagements and their impact.” ~ William C. Davis

Listen to Episode 90: HenryDonelsonPartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 89

FORTS HENRY & DONELSON (Part the First)

In which we give the background to Ulysses S. Grant’s February, 1862 campaign to capture Forts Henry & Donelson in northern Tennessee.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Forts Henry and Donelson: The Key to the Confederate Heartland by Benjamin F. Cooling.

Listen to Episode 89: HenryDonelsonPartFirst

“Shall Not Perish”

A big THANK YOU! to listener Zachary M., who is stationed on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, for sending us these great ball caps. You might not be able to see it very well, but the caps also have the ship’s motto: “Shall Not Perish.”

Civil War Podcast, Episode 88

MILL SPRINGS (Part the Second)

In which we look at the Battle of Mill Springs, which was fought in south-central Kentucky on January 19, 1862.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Mill Springs: Campaign and Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky by Kenneth A. Hafendorfer.

Listen to Episode 88: MillSprings

Civil War Podcast, Episode 87

MILL SPRINGS (Part the First)

In which we set the stage for the Battle of Mill Springs, which was fought in Kentucky on January 19, 1862.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Battle of Mill Springs Kentucky by Stuart W. Sanders.

Listen to Episode 87: MillSprings

Civil War Podcast, Episode 86

YEAR IN REVIEW- 1861 (July-December)

In which we use a couple of episodes to take a look back at what happened during the first year of the Civil War.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War by David J. Eicher.

“The Longest Night is a remarkable blend of scholarship and writing. It should stand for a long time as the best and most complete single-volume military history of the Civil War. A splendid achievement.” ~ Jeffry D. Wert

Listen to Episode 86: YearInReview1861

Civil War Podcast, Episode 85

YEAR IN REVIEW- 1861 (January-June)

In which we use a couple of episodes to look back at what happened during the first year of the Civil War.

Our book recommendation for this episode is The Civil War Day by Day, An Almanac, 1861-1865 by E.B. Long with Barbara Long, with a foreword by Bruce Catton.

Listen to Episode 85: YearInReview1861

Civil War Podcast, Episode 84

BLUE & GRAY FOREIGN RELATIONS (Part the Second): THE TRENT AFFAIR

In which we continue our discussion of Union and Confederate diplomacy by looking at the Trent Affair, which took the U.S. and Britain to the brink of war.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Caution and Cooperation: The American Civil War in British-American Relations by Phillip E. Myers.

“Phillip E. Myers places Anglo-American relations during the Civil War within the broader context of the whole nineteenth century, arguing convincingly for the lack of any real chance of British intervention on the side of the Confederacy… Based on extensive research in the United States and Great Britain, this major reinterpretation of the transatlantic relationship is ‘international history’ in its truest sense.” ~ Mary Ann Hess, Editor, New Studies in U.S. Foreign Relations Series

Listen to Episode 84: ForeignRelationsPartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 83

BLUE & GRAY FOREIGN RELATIONS (Part the First): “KING COTTON DIPLOMACY”

In which we discuss Union and Confederate foreign relations early in the Civil War, especially the South’s use of “King Cotton Diplomacy.”

Our book recommendation for this episode is Blue & Gray Diplomacy: A History of Union and Confederate Foreign Relations by Howard Jones.

“No other single volume offers such a comprehensive view of the challenges facing both Union and Confederate diplomats in London and Paris- and the motivations and responses of those courts. Jones has given us an exceptional study, a work on Civil War foreign affairs that is clearly written and synthesizes the most recent scholarship.” ~ John Belohlavek, University of South Florida

Listen to Episode 83: ForeignRelationsPartFirst

Civil War Podcast, Bonus Episode

ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON

Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-1862)

In which we give you a short episode about the life of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Albert Sidney Johnston: Soldier of Three Republics by Charles P. Roland.

“A masterly biography of a man cast in the heroic mold.” ~ Journal of American History

Listen to Bonus Episode: http://civilwarpodcast.libsyn.com/bonus-episode-albert-sidney-johnston