Fannie & Vera's Recommended Reading

An Introduction to Civil War Civilians by Juanita Leisch

Reenactors have never had a truer friend than Ms. Leisch.  THE most compact and focused study of ACW civilian life composed to date.  An indispensable guide on civilian activities and organizations during the era.

Women in the Civil War by Mary Elizabeth Massey

Covers many aspects of women's lives and will be helpful as you decide on a role.  Originally published in 1966 as "Bonnet Brigades" and may be in your library by this title.

Civil War Women by Barbara Brackman

Although this tome focuses on quilts and women quilters, there is excellent information on the sewing projects and activities of women during the ACW.

Within the Plantation Household by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese    305.409F

Daily life for white & black household members, college level tome.  Follow author's suggestions on which chapters to read to avoid academic angst.

Remembering Slavery: African Americans...  306.85M

Book & two tapes.  Recorded interviews with former slaves done in 1937.

American Manners & Morals by the Editors of the American Heritage Magazine  917.3A

Loads of info on how to behave yourself

Mr. Lincoln's Washington by Stanley Kimmel  953.3

Great images & inside info on the hotbed of Northern politics

Life in the North During the Civil War  by Geroge Winston Smith & Charles Judah  973.7S

The title says it all.

American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War by Bruce Catton

OK, this is military history, but all civilians knew as much as possible about the war as it raged.  This is the best, most compact & readable compendium of the war, with lavish illustrations.  Be informed.

American Heritage & Century Collection of Civil War Art  973.7

Pen & ink drawings of soldiers, camp life, war sites, & civilian life.

Tara Revisited-Women, War & the Plantation Legend by Catherine Clinton  973.7C

The Women & the Crisis by Agatha Young  973.733Y

Walt Whitman's Civil War by Walter Lowenfels  973.7

WW's observations from his labors at hospitals, the war front & Washington as letters & prose

The Time Life Series - The Civil War

Twenty Million Yankees & Confederate Ordeal

These two volumes give good accounts of life on the Home Fronts.  Excellent pictorial resource.

Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War by Judith W. McGuire  1867

With Courage and Delicacy, Women and the US Sanitary Commission by Nancy Scripture Garrison

Fascinating, intimate look at several nurses serving on USSC Hospital Ships

The South vs. The South by William W. Freehling

Documents the contributions of escaped slaves and "contraband" to the defeat of the Confederacy

Foreign & Female, Immigrant Women in America, 1840-1930 by Doris Weatherford

The Immigant woman's experience in America 305.48

Days of Darkness-The Gettysburg Civilians by William G. Williams

Fannie Seal of Approval. Author uses source documents to reconstruct the experiences of area citizens during June and July of 1863. Terrific resource for presentations, persona development.

Refugee Life in the Confederacy by Mary Elizabeth Massey

Describes the experience of an army of southern refugees in fascinating detail. Good reading.

Ersatz in the Confederacy: Shortages and Substitutions on the Southern Homefront by Mary Elizabeth Massey

More interesting than it sounds-besides outlining how Southerners "made do", it details the effect these shortages had on the outcome of the war. Good stuff.

A Vast Army of Women : Maine's Uncounted Forces in the American Civil War by Lynda L. Sudlow

Stories of ordinary women and their extraordinary accomplishments in support of the Union cause.

Eminent Victorian Women by Elizabeth Longford  305.42L

Short bios on a bakers dozen of famous ladies-handy for name dropping in conversation

Civil War Stories Catherine Clinton  973.7C

Biographies of ACW women & children

The President's Wife by Ishbel Ross

Biography of Mary Lincoln-possibly the most complex character of the times

Fanny Kemble's Civil Wars by Catherine Clinton

Fascinating history of an enthralling character-perhaps America's most unlikely abolitionist.

Who Wore What?  Women's Wear 1861-1865 by Juanita Leisch

 This is an essential resource for the study of women's fashions.  She has collected a large number of cartes de visite and uses them to illustrate her conclusions for the average fashion of the day.  Do note that not every photo is a dress from the Civil War era.  Pre and Post War photos are used for comparison.  Read the captions.  Fannie & Vera's favorite book.

Victorian Costume for Ladies   by Linda Setnik

Marvelous photos & text, as vitally important as Who Wore What for reenactors who portray different eras.  Excellent tour of fashion throughout the Victorian Era

Calico Chronicles by Betty J. Mills

History of women's clothing on the Texas frontier from 1830-1910.  Excellent photos of period dresses with good representation of working class clothing.

American Victorian Costume in Early Photographs by Priscilla Harris Dalrymple

Well organized images from 1840-1890, includes womens, mens & childrens photos. 391.009

Quilts of the Civil War by Barbara Brackman

Why a quilting book?  This is a wonderful resource for the colors, prints and patterns of period fabrics.

The Perfect Lady by C. Willett Cunnington  391K

Photos of women wearing garments from the Cunnington collection, one of the largest collections in England.

Suiting Everyone by Claudia Kidwell  391K

Nice photos & examples of fabrics

Historic Dress in America 1800-1870 by Elisabeth McClellan  391M

Good photos of women wearing museum pieces & a pattern for formal & day wear bodices

History of American Costume 1607-1870 by Elizabeth McClellan  R391

Yet another comprehensive tome by Lizzy, covers changes in fashion year by year.

These books were originally printed separately and may be in your library as such, newer editions have combined both books into one humongous tome-incredibly complete! (Links above are to the combined volume).

Mr. Godeys Ladies  391.072K

Images from Godey's Ladies' Book.  Great drawings of high fashion & accessories

Dress & Undress - The History of Women's Underwearby Elizabeth Ewing  391.42E

All the unmentionables you could mention

The Book of Costume by Millia Davenport  R391D (Reference section of library)

Pages 897 to end have nice drawings of fashionable dresses and ball gowns.

The Complete Button Book  by Lillian Smith Albert  391.45A

A must read if you plan to use buttons.  Styles, history, how they were made-sold-used.

The Art of Hair Work, Hair Braiding & Jewelry of Sentiment  by Mark Cambell  391.7C

Reproduction of an 1875 instruction book on how to make hair jewelry.  Fascinating.

Handmade Lace & Patterns by Annette Feldman  746.2F

History of Lace-great photos

Historic Costume by Katherine Morris Lester

Complete details of dress and fashion with lovely drawings R-391

20,000 Years of Fashion by Francois Boucher 

"The BIG Book".  Comprehensive overview of clothing styles throughout recorded history. R-391

The Art of Dress: Clothes and Society, 1500-1914 by Jane Ashelford

Beautifully illustrated, wealth of detail on fabrics, trims, colors. For the serious costume historian

Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh

Excellent resource, also provides the patterns to construct these garments.

The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1930 by Norah Waugh

The definitive period costume book for historical patterns

The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington

General overview of MEN'S and women's undergarments.

English Women's Clothing in the Nineteenth-Century by C. Willett Cunnington

Noteworthy because book features photos of models wearing garments from the Cunnington collection-you can easily see the drape and fit of each garment.

Costume in Detail: 1730-1930 by Nancy Bradfield

The illustrations and descriptions are excellent.

Textile Designs Digital, Volume III by Susan Meller

CD reproduction of a classic study tracking the history of textile design

Songs of the Civil War by Irwin Silber   784.406S

Good collection of songs with background info.

War Songs & Poems of the Confederacy 1861-1865 by H.M. Wharton   784G

Reproductions of sheet music for a selection of Southern Songs.

Heart Songs-Dear to the American People  by J.M. Chapple, W.K. McNeil 784.C

First published in 1909.  I find that older books tend to have more verses and use the original wording. 

Lincoln & the Music of the Civil War by Kenneth A Bernard  780-973.B

Puts period music into context.  Good background info on hits of the Civil War ear.

Popular Songs of 19th Century America by Richard Jackson   784.J

Reproductions of sheet music for 64 of the most popular songs of the 1800s.  Historical notes and background info for each song included in back of book.

Who Built America Christopher Clark, Editor  305.5

A working peoples history.  Very good back ground reading on the economy from colonial to reconstruction.

Life in America, Vol I & II  by Marshall B. Davidson

Marvelous!  Elements of daily life & how it affected the growth/direction of the US.  Volume II covers leisure, urban life, transportation, politics.  (I've just ordered a copy of volume I)

Now sold as single volume (both books in one), as two volumes prior to 1952

Domestic Revolutions  by Steven Mintz & Susan Kellogg

History of family life in America

American Economic History by Harold Underwood Faulkner

Political & military history tell how things happened, economic history tells WHY things happened. Dry reading but very complete. The first 6 colony ships to settle US set the stage for the ACW!

Harpers Pictoral History of the Civil War by Alfred H. Guernsy, Editor In reference section of library

Originally published in 1866, this is the BIG BOOK of Civil War history compiled right after the big event itself. Lavishly illustrated with etchings from Harpers Magazine. A visual feast that would take a year to read, so be sure to look at all the great pictures first.

The Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History: 1775-1865 edited by John Grafton

14 historic documents that Americans of the era would know, many having been memorized in school.

Everyday Life in the 1800s, A Guide for Writers, Students & Historians  by Marc McCutchion

Dictionary-like collection of terminology from the era.  Covers speech, travel, fashion, money, love & a special section on the Civil War 973.5

Uncle Tom's Cabin (or Life Among the Lowly) by Harriett Beecher Stowe

How can you possibly reenact the era without reading the #1 best seller of the times?

Whiskey and Wild Women  by Cy Martin 305.4

Saloons, brothels and gaming from the Mexican War to prohibition

History of Prostitution by Dr William W Sanger

Pub in 1859, this study is remarkable in it's scope, detail & verbose moralizing by an author clearly fascinated with his subject matter.

The Mighty Leaf: Tobacco Through the Centuries by Jerome Edmund Brooks

Study of the glorious rise of tobacco culture and industry in America and abroad

The Bright Tobacco Industry 1860-1929 by Nannie May Tilley 

Commercial development of tobacco industry

Tobacco, It's History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture & Commerce by ER Billings

Originally published in 1875, republished 1973

Civil War Cookbook by William C. Davis

The authors integrity to his subjext is admirable. Features military rations & meals as well as civilian fare for daily dining and festive feasting. Photos & recipes may seem un-appetizing, but this is how it was!

Welcome to Addy's World-1864 The American Girls Collection

WOW!  Good story, great photos and artifact images.  Learn about daily life for children during the era.

The Underground Railroad by Raymond Bial  J973.7B

Great basic history of the UGRR loaded with incredible photographs-very much worth a look. Reproduces how it must have felt to be passenger on this risky journey. 4-8th grade.

Bull Run by Paul Fleischman

It is written at about a third grade reading level.  The book tells of events from sixteen different points of view.

Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit

Again, about a third to beginning fourth grade reading level.  Story of Emma Edmonds, a Civil War spy.

Across Five Aprils

High fifth grade level.  Story of a family's conflict with family members fighting on both sides.  Told in the voice of a young boy. (Also available as Audio Cassette)

If You Lived at the Time of the Civil Warby Kay Moore, Illus by Anni Matsik

Excellent childrens primer comparing activites and lifestyles of the era, North and South. About 3rd grade level.