Duppstadt's Civil War Navy Blog: Review of The Fight for the Old North State

A new write-up of The Fight for the Old North State, this time from Andrew Duppstadt's blog: Civil War Navy, the History Profession, and Other Historical Musings. With Mr. Duppstadt's permission, I've included his remarks in full here:

"Finally, I was able to finish Hampton Newsome's The Fight for the Old North State and oh my, what a terrific book! There is nothing to dislike about this book. It is the most comprehensive thing written on North Carolina during the first half of 1864. Well-researched, well-written, balanced, and well-illustrated, if this book doesn't win some awards, people simply aren't paying attention. The Conclusion alone is the best summary of the topic one could hope to read. It includes the most detailed coverage of the Battle of Plymouth that you will find anywhere. Newsome's understanding of what was going on in North Carolina during this time is second to none and I encourage ANYONE interested in the Civil War, or even simply North Carolina history, to read this book. It will ultimately give you a better understanding of the time."  - Civil War Navy, the History Profession, and Other Historical Musings blog

New Book Review in Civil War News: The Fight for the Old North State

"Hampton Newsome's recommended book tells the chain of events - the highs and lows, the bumbling and the courageous, from January to May, 1864 in the Old North State. It's all here."

The August issue of Civil War News (subscription) has a nice review by Joan Wenner of The Fight for the Old North State. As noted in the review, Wenner lives in eastern North Carolina and has visited many of the places discussed in the book.

Among other things, Wenner describes the book as a "detailed, fact-filled journey through joint land and water operations" in North Carolina during 1864 and notes that the "social and political climate in the state is expertly relayed." The piece even includes an 1863 quote that Wenner unearthed in her own work from a judge in Greenville ("North Carolina was not left with enough troops to protect a potato patch"). This Civil War News review follows on the heels of two other recent highly favorable write-ups at Civil War Books and Authors and Random Thoughts on History.

Summer Sale: The Fight for the Old North State

Until July 31, you can get The Fight for the Old North State directly from University Press of Kansas for $24.12 (31% off and free shipping). Use code SUMM31 at checkout.

"In The Fight for the Old North State, Newsome certainly adds to his reputation as an indefatigable researcher. Text, notes, and bibliography indicate both extensive original manuscript research as well as thoughtful synthesis of the available secondary literature. Readers appreciative of the high-level research and narrative interpretation skills displayed in Newsome's earlier military study Richmond Must Fall will find the same qualities here." - Civil War Books and Authors

Random Thoughts on History Blog Looks at The Fight for the Old North State

Some great comments on The Fight for the Old North State from Tim Talbott at the Random Thoughts on History blog. As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Talbott's site - so I was happy to send along a copy. He reads many interesting titles and prepares thoughtful write-ups about them. I've also enjoyed chatting with him about the Petersburg Campaign. You can read his full post about my book at his site but I've included an excerpt below:

Tim Talbott

"Meticulously researched, vividly told and interpreted, The Fight for the Old North State not only helped fill a void in my own knowledge, it will certainly become the go to source for the greater Civil War community to understand these particular actions. In addition to a nice set of maps, the book also contains a number of photographs that help the reader with some of the campaign's lesser known figures. Do yourself a favor and add The Fight for the Old North State to your library. I highly recommend it." -  Tim Talbott at the Random Thoughts on History