"Free but Not Equal: The Midwest and the Negro during the Civil War" is an inquiry in Midwestern perceptions towards African Americans during the Civil War. Voegeli's book covers the following midwestern States: Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin during the war years of 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865.

For those of you who believed the Midwest symbolized the devoutly religious and piously tolerant Yankees who passionately opposed slavery will be traumatized after reading Voegeli's book. As disturbing as Voegeli's study is, his readers will come out of the experience with a deeper understanding of the variable attitudes held toward African Americans in the Midwest during the Civil War.

"Except for the South," Voegeli contends the Midwest, "was the region most firmly committed to white supremacy"(p 1). To substantiate his thesis, Voegeli formulates four major hypotheses. (1) Midwesterners were hostile towards African Americans migrating into the Midwest. (2) They believed African Americans were inferior to whites; (3) They believed African Americans were not well suited for the colder climate of the Midwest. (4) These inhospitable attitudes delayed and hindered Lincoln's administrative policies toward liberation, confiscation and emancipation of African Americans escaping slavery.

V. Jacque Voegeli's employed a full scope of primary and secondary sources to tell his story. Mainly relying on primary sources such as newspaper accounts and official correspondences, Voegeli offers a first-class analysis of an exceptionally difficult and bulky subject. The scope of his evidence is shown in his countless endnotes and his superbly compiled bibliographical essay. His bibliographical essay categorizes sources by manuscripts collection, government documents (Federal and State), newspapers, periodicals, correspondence, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, regional histories, local histories and finally, multiple Civil War monographs.

Throughout his study he provides good historical scholarship. His analysis pinpoints key concepts that have, in the past, been confused by other historians. For example, many historians confuse, or don't even realize, the variable causations between the racial rioting of 1862 and 1863. Oftentimes historians confuse these dates, since they were approximately one-year apart (July 1862/July 1863). Historians have stated, inaccurately, that both periods of rioting were in response to the Civil War draft. In reality, only the 1863 riots dealt principally with the Conscription Act. Contrary, the riots of 1862 resulted from the fears of African American migration and competition for laboring jobs in the north.

Is Voegeli biased? Does he tell the entire story? Despite the fact that Voegeli is accurate, he does have some biases that hamper his credibility as an objective historian. A particular bias shows in his inability to inform his readers of the full story regarding the different levels of tolerance toward African Americans in the Midwest. In the first few pages of his book, were he writes:

"Here and there, a spirit of moderation eased their [African Americans] plight. A few districts in Ohio's Western Reserve allowed colored children to attend white schools and sometimes permitted Negroes to vote and to hold office.... Free Negro immigrants and fugitive slaves found havens of refuge in Quaker settlements in Indian, Ohio, and Cass County, Michigan. Nevertheless, islands or racial toleration were rare in the Midwest"(pp 2-3).

While this is true, he should have included more coverage of the occasional tolerant midwesterners, rather than merely mentioning them in his introduction. While I agree, the Midwest was very intolerant towards African Americans, but not everyone shared such negative views. The viewpoints of the moderately tolerant midwesterners were markedly more popular than Voegeli contends. By not including these differences (in the levels of tolerance) by several communities in the Midwest, it undermines his otherwise excellent book.

Also evident is his analysis regarding the views held by the moderate Republicans and Unionists midwesterners towards African Americans and their opinions of African Americans working in the North. Clearly from Voegeli's argument, he tries persuading his readers that prior to emancipation, most moderates were against African Americans competing for jobs in the Midwest. He furthermore contends, for the most part, radical Republicans where also hesitant in allowing Africans Americans to work in the Midwest. While some may have held such beliefs, it apparently was not a black and white issue--as Voegeli contends. In contrast, many moderates and radicals midwesterners welcomed African Americans.

While I would recommend, "Free but Not Equal," one does need to read it with some scrutiny in light of his possible biases. At the same time Voegeli provides a brilliant awareness of the racial policies and attitudes in the Midwest during the Civil War. "Free but Not Equal" is a significant book on how these attitudes effected the political and military actions of the Lincoln Administration. With this recommendation, I would also propose that one should read other inquiries for an enhanced awareness of the Midwest and its unique history sounding emancipations and the issues of African American migration into the Midwest. Two excellent inquiries are: Frank Klement's, "The Copperhead in the Middle West," or James McPherson's, "The Negro's Civil War".

James is a B&B owner in Alpine, Texas, and he knows this country! I used Jim's book to help me plan my own trek through West Texas while researching the Texas guide for Lonely Planet. Definitely worthwhile, even if it's becoming just a bit dated.

The folklorist, Ronald Baker, has written an excellent study of place names in Indiana. Thoroughly documented, this book is a fine guide for finding out how various towns and cities in Indiana got their names. What is especially interesting is Baker's introduction to this volume. He shows how there are common patterns to the development of place names in the state. Baker then provides ways for readers to draw conclusions about the history of the state by finding out how various names came to be. This book is very useful for understanding the folklore of Indiana, and it is a model for studies of place names in other states.

I grew up two miles and one generation away from the setting of this story. It brought back childhood memories of familiar locations and names. The author uses an interesting technique of telling the story with different points of view in each chapter. It makes for enjoyable reading even though it's a mostly fiction story based on real characters. The author's POV is used often enough to bring out the emotions of a coming-of-age story and the social aspects of mid-Thirties farm life. There are many similarities between this Hidewood memoir and mine, "A Farm in the Hidewood: My South Dakota Home."

It's a good guide to Chicago. It helped me plan my trip, and navigate my way through the city. However, like any other travel book, some sites in Chicago do go out of business, and is still listed in the book. So, I suggest calling ahead or asking your concierge if the place is still in business. The book is a good starting block for your first trip to Chicago. It gives descriptive information on transportation through the city and suggestions on things to do in and around the city. The book is segemented into activties and then boroughs of Chicago, so it provides a good planning guide for your trip to Chicago.

I thought this book gave very good descriptions and fun things to do with the family in northern IN. However, I did find an error in a phone number which made it difficult to locate the Hannah Lindahl Children's Museum. The phone number is 219-254-4540. Also the city was misspelled. It should read Mishawaka. Otherwise, a good resource.

The top ten picks were a good mix of things to do indoors and outdoors and all could be done in a day trip or less depending on your starting location.

Rachel Snyder takes a practical approach to the unique problems of the plains. Instead of telling me what I can't plant, she gives me myriad options for creating a long-lasting, beautiful garden. What this book lacks in beauty, it makes up for with loads of great advice and information about plants that will survive scorching heat, high winds and cold winters. I highly recommend the book for beginning gardeners.

We have such extremes of climate in the Midwest that it can be frustrating knowing what to grow. This book not only recommends varieties but also covers pests and diseases we face in our areas.

Mr. Bernstein does a great job bringing to life the interactions among the Wright Brothers, Boss Kettering, and John Patterson in turn of the century Dayton, Ohio. Did you know John Patterson (founder of National Cash Register)invented the canned sales pitch and direct mail marketing? And the way the book covers the five year period it took the Wright Brothers to concur flight is spellbinding. I have purchased five copies of this book to give to various friends, all of whom loved it.

Jamie MacKinnon writes well, and writes widely. This book is not just about beer in the Great Lakes area, it's about how beer touches your life when you get to know it. It's about how beer is made, how people grow to love it, how beer fits into the world, how beers differ, how the beer culture in North America has suffered this century but is triumphantly rising from its ashes. I can pick up this book, turn to any page, and thoroughly enjoy myself. Forget your interminable lists of 'beer ratings' that cover every bottle of crap that ever made it off a bottling line; MacKinnon evaluates beers in a depth that is fascinating and arresting. Sublime stuff.