What are you reading these days?

[Henry4440]

I'm just changing my interrest from the French & Indian War to the Civil War and CAS.
So are there any good books?
What are you reading?

[Ransom Gaer]

Henry4440,

Regarding the War Between The States it's almost what isn't out there.  There are literally thousands of volumes on the war.  I have read "That Devil Forrest."  It is a biography of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, probably the best cavalry commander of the war.  Another good one about the other side is "The Last Full Measure."  It is a history of the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment.  I have read a number of books on specific battles from Gettysburg to Sharpsburg(Antietam) to Chancellorsville to Cold Harbor.  The War Between The States is a possible never ending subject.  It might be simpler to choose a specific aspect of the war.  I have a number of books that are regimental histories.  Most of the regiments I have histories on I had relatives in.  That is an area where I am kind of specializing.  Studying my family's involvement in the war.  Even that is an area where I will never be done.  My family didn't really do anything major, but they seemed to be everywhere during the war.  I could go on and on and on about what is out there, but I won't.  That war is just too big a subject.  There are books on battles, regiments, personalities and their philosophies on life, books on the economics of the war.  It is just mind boggling.

Regarding CAS all I really have in books is John Taffins book on the game and "Gunsmithing the Guns of Cowboy Action Shooting" or something like that.  The rest I have gotten from the magazines.

Good luck with your reading.

Ransom Gaer

[Forty Rod]

Some really good fiction.  One is called Legends by a great new author: ME!!!

(Howzat for blatant commercialism and self-promotion?)

[Old Top]

Forty,

Sounds about Right.    But Legends is a great read.  Thanks.

Old Top

[Henry4440]

Just reading:Guns of the Western Indian War.
Very interesting.
.... in 1879 Army records make reference to a large collection of several years at the Quartermaster Depot, Cheyenne,Wyoming.The 410 weapons,primarily Sioux and Cheyenne, are facinating and illuminating roll call of the Frontier weaponry:
Breechloader-124
19 Springfield M1873 Carbines
30 Springfield M1865-M1868 Rifle Muskets and cut down to carbine length
12 Henry & '66 Rifles
23 Spencers
13 Sharps
21 Miscellaneous Breechloaders
Muzzleloading Rifles-160
157-Percussion Rifles
   3 - Flintlocks
Revolvers-123

Of the 410, 69%were long guns and 31% were handguns.Of the 284 long guns, 56% were single shot muzzleloaders and only 5,6% were advanced Henry and Winchester.Of the 123 handguns only two, 1,6% were cartridge guns.
This isn't conclusive, but i found it very interesting.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Here are some books that Delmonico was so gracious in letting me borrow.
"Life of Tom Horn" by Himself
"Glory-Hunter: A Life of General Custer" by Frederic F. Van de Water
"A Cowboy Detective" by Charles A. Siringo
"The Custer Myth" by W.A. Graham
"My Life on the Plains" by General George Armstrong Custer
"Custer's Luck" By Edgar I. Stewart
"The Outlaw Trail" by Charles Kelly
"Crazy Horse" by Mari Sandoz
"The Bloody Bozeman" by Dorothy M. Johnson
"The Battle of the Little Bighorn" by Mari Sandoz
"Law West of Fort Smith" by Glenn Shirley

Some others I have read are.
"The Westerners" by Dee Brown
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown
"The Buffalo Hunters" by Mari Sandoz

Delmonico told me that "Old Jules" by Mari Sandoz is a good one.

Word of warning about this list of books and most books, you had to read between the lines to see if the author is trying to promote a certain agenda.

Also, there are some very talented writers among the ranks on CAS City. You can go to Saddlebag Tales to read some. Also, they is     
Cavannaugh: West From Appomattox, Missing Angels --Another Petticoat Posse Tale, Adadoda, and Legends: The beginning.

Slim

[The Elderly Kid]

David McCullough's "Battle Cry of Freedom" is a fine one-volume overview of the whole Civil War. The Time-Life Civil War series gives you a good grounding in specific aspects of the War such as the major campaigns, the River war, soldier life, etc., all profusely illustrated. With those under your belt, you're ready for Shelby Foote's much more detailed studies. Bruce Catton's multivolume study is another good one, possibly not quite as detailed as Foote's. As said above, your problem certainly won't be a lack of material.

[mtmarfield]

   Greetings!

   Gents, I've just finished "Lakota Woman" by Mary Crow Dog. If any of you have a speck of native blood, or compassion for these people and what they went through, and want to read one woman's account of her life, and the history that drives her, I Highly recommend it.

   Be Well!

             M.T.Marfield:.
                2-18-07

[Henry4440]

Just made a copy from the book:
'My Life on the Plains' by General Georg Armstrong Custer.
Never heard of it before.here is the link.
http://www.kancoll.org/books/custerg/index.html#contents

They have some good books.You can allways made a copy with word.
http://www.kancoll.org/books/index.html

[Silver Creek Slim]

Just made a copy from the book:
'My Life on the Plains' by General Georg Armstrong Custer.
Never heard of it before.here is the link.
http://www.kancoll.org/books/custerg/index.html#contents

They have some good books.You can allways made a copy with word.
http://www.kancoll.org/books/index.html

Thanks fer the links, pard.

Slim

[St. George]

On the topic - I offered this up a couple of years ago, with an addition or two.

Well-Recommended...
« on: October 13, 2005, 02:17:33 PM »    

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just 'know' that this'll be seen as 'heresy' - but there are other writers of Westerns than Louis L'Amour...

Shocking, I know - but if you'll bear with me - here are a few that I'd recommend for your perusal when you're stuck up in the Line Shack, this winter.

J. Frank Dobie - Lost mines of the Southwest - 'Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver' and 'Coronado's Children'

Lauran Paine - he actually wrote 'The Open Range Men' - later to become the movie 'Open Range'.

Clarence Mulford - the original 'Hopalong Cassidy was wildly 'different from black-clad 'Hoppy'

Matt Braun - try - 'One Last Town' - about Bill Tighlman

Dan Parkinson - 'Brother Wolf'

Loren D. Estleman - his protagonist carries a Deane-Adams...

Elmore Leonard - "Forty Lashes Less One' - there's a compilation just out - well worth the read.

Brian Garfield - 'Wild Times'

Will Henry - 'Chiracauhua'

Robert Steelman - 'Blood and Dust'

Donald Hamilton - didn't 'just' write the 'Matt Helm' series.

Luke Short - 'Bought With a Gun'

Elmer Kelton - 'The Day the Cowboys Quit'

Gordon D. Shirreffs - 'The Ghost Dancers'

Fairfax Downey - "Indian Fighting Army'

Larry McMurtry - 'Lonesome Dove'

Alan LeMay - wrote 'The Searchers' - try -'Winter Range'

Dee Brown - 'The Galvanized Yankees'

Michael Shaara - 'The Killer Angels'

Jeffery Shaara - 'Gods and Generals' and 'The Last Full Measure' - both establishing and finishing a trilogy begun by his father, these follow the early, middle and late careers of the protagonists seen in the movie - 'Getttysburg'.

And then - there are the various 'collections' from those who've won 'The Spur Award' - awarded by the Western Writers of America - all of whom are worth a good look.

The 'new' writers - Ralph Compton, Johnny Boggs and the like are buildiing thier followings as well.

And for those who still look to Louis L'Amour - there's now available  'The Sackett Companion' - giving all of the backgrounds of his best-loved stories.

These are by no means 'all' of the Western writers out there - but I'll recommend these - and you can add your favorites as you choose.

Also - if you check 'The Barracks' for a book list - you'll find quite a few military books dealing with the Civil War, Indian Wars and Spanish-American War, since a couple of us did some listing.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!