About the Book

The Civil War lasted for four years and claimed the lives of over 630,000 Americans.  Between 1861-65 armies swept across vast stretches of the United States.  Cities such as Atlanta, Richmond, and Vicksburg were virtually destroyed.  American soldiers slayed one another in numbers previously and subsequently unimagined.  Small American towns such as Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Petersburg became the sites of horrific battles.  In the end, the Civil War resulted in the reunification of the country, emancipation for millions of African-Americans, the destruction of antebellum social structures in the South, and the emergence of the United States as a great power on the international scene.  Since 1865 literally tens of thousands of books have been written about a plethora of Civil War subjects.  Many of those books have younger readers as their target audience.  Authors and contemporary publishers produce dozens of Civil War books every year designed for children and adolescents.  Many of those publications are well written, thoughtfully focused, and memorable in terms of structure.  However, some are not worthy of purchase or perusal.  Civil War Books for Younger Readers represents a resource tool for educators, librarians, parents, and anyone interested in purchasing quality Civil War books for youngsters.  The 350 featured reviews address the vast majority of Civil War books presently available for younger readers.  Each review features not only commentary about the book but also elements of Civil War history.  In addition, each review includes book specific information such as suggested age ranges for readers, cost, publication date, and publisher.  Civil War Books for Younger Readers represents the most complete single volume review compendium presently available dealing solely with the Civil War era.  As such, it is a valuable tool for reference as well as an entertaining look at 350 Civil War books currently on the market

About the Author

Greg Romaneck has been writing about the Civil War for over twenty years.  In that time period Greg has authored dozens of articles about various aspects of the war with a primary focus on the daily life of common soldiers and civilians.  Greg is a featured writer for three Civil War journals catering to living historians.  He has also authored several books and booklets dealing with various subjects related to Civil War history.  In his writing Greg has focused his attention on social history and, in particular, how the Civil War affected the course of people’s lives.  Additionally, Greg has critiqued over 1000 books for Children’s Literature a leading source of review information for educators, librarians, and parents.  Among those critiques are many dealing with Civil War topics such as individual battles, general histories of the war, personalities, African-Americans, slavery, women in the war, and the Underground Railroad.  It was in working as a reviewer that the concept for Civil War Books for Younger Readers came about.  In his spare time Greg enjoys backpacking, reading, films, and bicycling.  Greg has a particular love for wilderness areas and hiking in Northwoods locations such as Isle Royale National Park in the midst of Lake Superior.  He also participates in Civil War reenacting and has done so since 1992.  Greg resides in DeKalb, Illinois with his wife and three children.  He is a professional educator as well as an author.  At present, Greg is working on several writing projects inclusive of poetry books dealing with the Civil War and wilderness themes, a leadership book drawn from Abraham Lincoln’s writings, self-improvement tips, a Civil War novel, and a study of the memoirs of Civil War soldiers and civilians.  Civil War Books for Younger Readers is Greg’s third publication with AuthorHouse.