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Editorials
Library Journal
Edited by Civil War historian and prolific author Woodworth, this set measures the horrific toll of the Civil War on military and civilian life. Included among the numerous contributors are academics, writers, graduate students, and even school teachers. Roughly 220 entries are thematically arranged under several headings: "A Soldier's Life," "Family and Community," "Religion," "Popular Culture," "Health and Medicine," "Work and Economy," "Politics," "Effects of War on Slaves and Freedpeople," and "Reconciliation and Remembrance." Rigorously referenced, each entry is supplemented by a bibliography. Through the judicious use of firstperson accounts in the form of diaries and letters, readers are given an intimate view of lives lived and lost during this tumultuous and tragic time. Numerous archival photographs, daguerreotypes, and illustrations-many from the vaults of the Library of Congress-bear witness to some of the darkest moments of the conflict, such as the massacre at Fort Pillow and the Draft Riots of 1863. Breadth is this title's strong point, as the essays exploring African American soldiers, Native American soldiers, women on the battlefield, sanitation, food, and the role of the YCMA can attest. BOTTOM LINE Although the set is pricey compared with its relevant competitors-among them, Daily Life in Civil War America and Daily Lives of Civilians in Wartime Early America: From the Colonial Era to the Civil War, both from Greenwood-Woodworth's coverage is more extensive, and his addition of a chronology makes this an indispensable reference tool for public and academic libraries. [Ebk. ISBN 9781414430126
—Daniel Sifton