Richard A. Sauers

The only guidebook of its kind covering Civil War-related sites in Philadelphia-the Union's second-largest city when the Civil War began in 1861, Philadelphia was an important industrial center behind the Northern war effort. The city boasted two large federal arsenals, a major shipbuilding facility, the country's largest locomotive factory, and the busiest flag manufacturer in the United States. Philadelphia bankers raised valuable government bonds and millions of dollars for the Lincoln administration. Several prominent Union generals were born in Philadelphia, and the city enlisted scores of regiments for the Union cause. Philadelphia, long a center of abolitionist ferment, provided safe haven for escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad, and later a recruitment camp for black soldiers was established near the city.This unique guidebook includes descriptive background information on the city's rich Civil War heritage-historical buildings, Underground Railroad sites, museums, archives, libraries, cemeteries, commemorative statues and plaques. Guide to Civil War Philadelphia also includes an overview of the city's wartime history and a selected list of accommodations with Civil War connections.… (meer)

I’ve come to enjoy Brassey’s Military Profiles series and picked up a slew of them on one of my recent trips to the local bookstore. And while “Meade: Victor at Gettysburg” by Richard A. Sauers is a decent work on General Meade and his role in victory at Gettysburg, this historical profile failed to capture my interest or intrigue me. Mr. Sauers does an upright job edifying and de-vilifying General Meade, however, he does little to capture the trying times and sheer drama of the moment as other Brassey military profile authors in this series.… (meer)