Ever wish you lived in the 1800's , the good ol' days, the simple times when life was once not as complicated as it is today. If so or if you are just curious about what life and the world may have been like ,this book is a must. A great book for all readers who love small towns everywhere. Two years of a small town's history from the 1830's lay dormant in the attic of an old historic home for untold years only to be discovered and brought alive over 150 years later by the author, Rita Frost Lynch. The book provides delightful accounts of the way life was both locally and internationally during that era but it also revealed life was not all that uncomplicated as some may think and the good ol' days certainly were not good for all. Slavery is once again refreshed in our minds as we read accounts of sales going on around town and we are reminded it was not all that long ago when all people were not allowed basic freedoms or even simple dignity. A part of history never to be forgotten but also, never to be repeated. I highly recommend this book to all.

Cozzens' first book about the Civil War's western theatre admittedly is easily the least compelling, but still a good read. Calling this book "bad" as another reviewer did, is just bizarre. If you're not interested in the Civil War, don't read books about it. This is, for the most part, a well-written, fine account of the Battle of Murfreesboro, or Stones River. The main problem is a sometimes-confusing rundown of troop movements, not helped by even more perplexing maps. I had a great deal of trouble figuring out just where everybody was on the battlefield. Cozzens' next two books in this "trilogy" remedy most of the problems and are big steps forward.

If you prefer fast food over meal which requires you
to sit down and relax, then you probably won't care for
this book. If you love detail, then this is the book for
you. The book is about a significant civil war battle that never got the attention it deserved. By the way, I just came from Stones River Battlefield, and if you should ever find yourself in Nashville, TN, I highly recommend visitiing this historic battlefield. It's managed by the U.S. Park Service, and they do a superb job with the visitors. It's located about 45 minutes south of Nashville by car. A visit there will give you a very good
feel for this key battle of the U.S. Civil War.

The first battle to resemble Verdun. Peter's grasp of his material consistently amazes me.