This Great Struggle: America's Civil War by Steven E. Woodworth

Civil War historian Woodworth has given us a thrilling, easy-to-read, single-volume history of the War, just in time for the sesquicentennial.  All of the battle details are here, but Woodworth deftly covers the political details as well.  He gives us the Congressional machinations regarding slavery that preceded the first strike at Fort Sumter, and he delineates the personal clashes between figures.  Whether it's Lincoln vs. McClellan or Davis vs. Beauregard, the internecine battles are almost as crucial as the field ones.  This book is essential reading for everyone who forgot most of what happened during the most critical four years in American history.

Dawn

http://catalog.bartlett.lib.il.us/polaris/search/

Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

Only one more week until our Bartlett Book Community Book Discussion.  There are still some copies of the book available at the Information Desk for anyone who wants to join the discussion on Tuesday, May 17 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.  It's not too late to pick one up, as the book is a quick read.

Each chapter is a vignette unto itself.  Some of the favorite ones include "The Pacing Goose," in which Eliza Birdwell must take the neighboring farmer to court in order to get her beloved pet goose back, and a "A Likely Exchange" in which Jess Birdwell learns that appearances in animals and people can be deceiving.  The Civil War experience is related from the Quaker experience with irony and reality in "The Battle in Finney's Ford."

We will also preview the book on Saturday, May 14, at 2:00 pm with a "Civil War Movie Matinee" featuring the 1956 movie version starring Gary Cooper and Dorothy Maguire.  Please join us for both of these events.

Dawn

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

The Bartlett Public Library District holds a Community Book Discussion on Tuesday, May 17, at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.  This featured book, which was published in 1945,  is set on a Quaker farm in Indiana during the American Civil War.  Paperback and large print copies of the book are available at the Information Desk.  The book is considered a classic of 20th century American literature and has received  stellar reviews over the years.  The Washington Post said, "West writes gracefully, occasionally poetically, in a voice both innocent and brave."  The New York Times Book Review writes, "West is an advocate of human respect, reason over emotions, and a tough, all-purpose femininity that can face and solve most situations on its own terms."  Check back in May for another posting on this book.

Dawn

http://www.jessamyn.com/jessamyn/jessbio.html for biographical information about Jessamyn West