Albert Castel Book Award

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Dr. Carl J. Guarneri as the winner of the 2020 Albert Castel Book Award. Dr. Guarneri received the 2020 award for his book, Lincoln’s Informer: Charles A. Dana and the Inside Story of the Union War, published by the University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.

Among some of the Kalamazoo CWRT reviewers’ comments: 

Lincoln’s Informer sheds light on an important Civil War player that most of us have heard of but don’t really know. In fact he was an interesting, smart, learned, and effective character in his own right, being extremely influential in the highest levels of the Union command. Dana was no saint and the author shows the full man, warts and all. He also presents Dana’s pre- and post-war history, each of which is interesting and gives the reader great insight into the roles of the press, New York politics as it affected Lincoln’s decision making, and reconstruction politics.  

The author did years of difficult research on an important Civil War figure who had little previously written about him, and none that met the level of current scholarship. This book is a significant contribution to the study of Union leadership and decision making.
 

What most of us know about Dana pertains to Rosecrans and Chickamauga. The author explains the degree to which Dana championed Grant. Unlike Rosecrans, Grant did a masterful job of using Dana as an ally.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Dr. Timothy B. Smith as the winner of the 2018 Albert Castel Book Award. Dr. Smith received the 2018 award for his book, Grant Invades Tennessee: The 1862 Battles for Forts Henry and Donelson, published by the University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. 

Among some of the Kalamazoo CWRT reviewers’ comments: 

"Grant Invades Tennessee breaks new ground, especially regarding the important capture of Fort Henry, something that has often been overlooked."

"This is a very good battle history, with a strong narrative regarding overall Confederate and Union strategy for the war."

"Fort Henry has usually been glossed over quickly in other books on this campaign. I think it is the best account of the campaign that I have read, with a great level of detail and clarity."

Receiving honorable mention: The Chickamauga Campaign (three volume set) by David A. Powell, and Civil War in the Southwest Borderlands by Andrew E. Masich.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Edward B. McCaul Jr. as the winner of the 2016 Albert Castel Book Award. McCaul received the 2016 award for his book, To Retain Command of the Mississippi: The Civil War Naval Campaign for Memphis, published by The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN.

Among some of the Kalamazoo CWRT reviewers' comments:

"Memphis was critical to control the Mississippi. It's all you need to know about the events on the Upper Mississippi. The maps make this easy to understand and the author covers not only the battles, but politics, personalities, strategy, tactics and logistics."

"Civil War buffs can get caught up in the regiments, battles and commanders of the myriad land campaigns throughout the four-year conflict. This book helps bring into focus the immense importance the waterways played in support and control of any ambitions either the North or South had in winning the war."

"The best account I've read of the creation of the Union river forces and the rivalries between the army and navy over control of the vessels."

Receiving honorable mention was Lincoln's Trident: The West Gulf Blockading Squadron during the Civil War, by Robert M. Browning Jr.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Stephen M "Sam" Hood as the winner of the 2014 Albert Castel Book Award. Hood received the award for his book John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General, published by Savas Beatie LLC, El Dorado Hills, CA.

Among some of the Kalamazoo CWRT reviewers' comments:

"The voluminous inclusion of citations to historical documents and other primary source material challenge previous interpretations of Hood's military actions. A look back at past author's interpretations of John Bell Hood's record reveals the biases, inventions, and myths that have darkly colored his Civil War reputation. This book refutes the aspersions of 'historians' to name Hood the sole cause of the loss of Atlanta, and failure at Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville."

"Anyone who wants the true story of the fall of Atlanta and the Tennessee campaign needs to study this book."

"Sam Hood makes a compelling case that Hood's reputation has been unjustifiably tarnished over the years by authors who have repeated half-truths and myths that are not supported by primary sources. Even people with little or no interest in Hood should read it as a cautionary tale that the things that 'everybody knows' are not always true."

Receiving honorable mention was General Grant and the Rewriting of History: How the Destruction of William S. Rosecrans Influenced our Understanding of the Civil War, by Frank Varney.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Gary Ecelbarger as the winner of the 2012 Albert Castle Book Award. Ecelbarger received the award for his book The Day Dixie Died: The Battle of Atlanta, published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York.

Among some of the Kalamazoo CWRT reviewers' comments: 

"The Atlanta Campaign was greatly neglected until Albert Castel's book, Decision in the West appeared. Castel's book covered the entire Atlanta Campaign. However, there has never been a full-length study of the Battle of Atlanta itself – the Confederates best chance to defeat Sherman and drive him away from Atlanta. Ecelbarger's book fills this gap."

"The book concentrates on the battle of Friday, July 22, 1864. Because of the losses sustained by Hood's forces, this day's battle sealed the fate of Atlanta and the South, and probably ensured Lincoln's re-election... hence, 'the day Dixie died.' With its in-depth coverage of the tactics in half-hour segments, the book allows for a great appreciation of Hood's plan, the personnel involved, the appalling casualties, and the chances of war. Beautifully written (even though detail laden), with quotes and vignettes from combatants, this will probably be THE historical report on July 22, 1864, in the battles for Atlanta."

Receiving honorable mentions are Thunder Across the Swamp: The Fight for the Lower Mississippi, February 1863 – May 1863, by Donald Frazier and The L & N Railroad in the Civil War, by Dan Lee.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Michael D. Pierson as the winner of the 2010 Albert Castel Book Award. Pierson received the award for his book Mutiny at Fort Jackson: The Untold Story of the Fall of New Orleans, published by The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC.

Among some of the Kalamazoo CWRT reviewers' comments:
 

"The mutineers at Fort Jackson serve as a window into the Confederate and Union sentiments. The book illustrates the complex social mosaic of New Orleans through the careful depiction of the relationships between the elite, the working class, and the foreign-born. The book delves into the strikes, sabotage and recruitment problems of Confederate New Orleans. In addition, there is an excellent description of the quick success of Major General Benjamin F. Butler's governance of the captured city that counters the usual poor report of his time there."

"This book is well-written and easy to read and understand. The author proposed that the garrison of Fort Jackson, the major southern fort guarding New Orleans, intentionally performed poorly during the passage of the Union Fleet to capture New Orleans. After which, they proceeded to mutiny, desert, and that some even joined the Union ranks. The book is a unique look at an ignored incident. The loss of the forts guarding New Orleans, the largest city in the south, struck a heavy blow to Southern hopes. The author builds on period accounts of the conditions in New Orleans before and during the beginning of the Civil War to find the reasons behind the mutiny." 

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Steven M. Mayeux as the winner of the 2008 Albert Castel Book Award. Mayeux received the award for his book Earthen Walls, Iron Men: Fort DeRussy, Louisiana, and the Defense of Red River, published by The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN.

The author, with local and family roots, covers Fort DeRussy from construction to destruction and current efforts to preserve and maintain the site. There is in-depth background on the fort, the area around it, and its role in the Red River campaign of Banks and Porter against the Confederacy. Excellent commentary on the role of cotton and its confiscation for the North's war effort, on the local black and white population's involvement with the Fort, on naval aspects of the Western theater - all increase knowledge of the scope of the Civil War.

It’s a lively tale containing ship captures, a battle between gunboats and the fort’s batteries, and the capture, reoccupation and final destruction of the fort.

In the book, the story of the fort is told in the context of events in the larger war and in the surrounding region. The bulk of the book is about the Iron Men, the people who built the fort, those who fought to defend it, those who fought to destroy it, and the people who lived around it and were affected by its presence. Among those Iron Men will actually be a few Steel Magnolias, because the women-folk were affected by the fort, too. Mr. Mayeux pulls no punches in his evaluation of the heroes and scoundrels of the story (Admirers of Admiral Porter – beware!) A descendant of the original owners of the property where the fort was built, Mr. Mayeux has used family archives and local newspapers to enhance and correct the accounts given in the Official Records and other sources.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Lenette S. Taylor as the winner of the 2006 Albert Castel Book Award. Taylor received the award for her book The Supply for Tomorrow Must Not Fail: The Civil War of Captain Simon Perkins, Jr., a Union Quartermaster, published by Kent State University Press, Kent, OH.

The topic of Dr. Taylor’s book, The Supply for Tomorrow Must Not Fail is the role of the Union Quartermaster Corps in the winning of the War in the West. The story is told through the experiences of Captain Simon Perkins, Jr., of Akron, Ohio, and his fellow quartermasters in helping make the Union's victory possible by providing the Federal army with clothing and camp equipment; livestock and forage; wagon and railroad transportation; and offices, warehouses, and hospitals, despite bad weather, unserviceable railroads, and lack of reliable conveyance.

The Supply for Tomorrow Must Not Fail examines Perkins's responsibilities, the difficult situations he encountered and overcame, and the successes he achieved as part of a team of determined and dependable supply officers, whose duties were critical to successful Union military operations. During his service with the Army of the Ohio, the Army of the Cumberland, and the Department of the North, Perkins held key assignments in Tennessee and Alabama, directed wagon trains during the Kentucky campaign, and managed railroad transportation and quarters in Nashville during the Chattanooga campaign. As the army's businessman, he handled labor problems, paid thousands of bills and managed properties throughout the embattled country. Perkins produced and preserved thousands of documents and was an effective, resourceful, and honest quartermaster, who often anticipated and met the army's needs.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Gary Dillard Joiner as the winner of the 2004 Albert Castel Book Award. Joiner received the award for his book One Damn Blunder From Beginning to End: The Red River Campaign of 1864, published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Lanham, MD.

The title of Mr. Joiner’s book is taken from General William Tecumseh Sherman’s assessment of the campaign. It is the story of the ambitious attempt by Union forces to seize Shreveport, enter Texas, and acquire large amounts of valuable cotton at the same time. This operation combined Union Army and Navy forces, using the Red River Valley for entry to the region. Mr. Joiner’s book details both the failures and successes of the Union and Confederate forces, the personality clashes among the commanders, and the sometimes-ingenious efforts that occurred on both sides.

In this campaign, a well-led Confederate army managed to turn back a numerically superior Union force. They also engineered a drop in the water level of the Red River in an attempt to trap and destroy the Union fleet. The book details the defeat of the Union army forces at Mansfield, Louisiana as well as the ingenious dam building effort that allowed the Union fleet to escape. The results of this campaign were felt beyond the region, and lessons can be drawn regarding modern military operations.

The Kalamazoo Civil War Round Table is pleased to announce Warren E. Grabau as the winner of the 2002 Albert Castel Book Award. Grabau received the award for his book  Ninety-Eight Days: A Geographer's View of the Vicksburg Campaign, published by The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN.

As might be expected in a book by a geographer, the maps are plentiful. In fact, there are 68 maps included in a separate section near the end of the book. To make them more useful to the reader, at the beginning of each chapter Mr. Grabau lists the identification numbers of the maps that will best illustrate the actions that are described in that chapter.  

Mr. Grabau also used another innovation in the way he portrays the events of the campaign. Each chapter describes the action from the points of view of both sides sequentially, including only the information that they would have had access to at the time.  Although it necessarily results in some repetition of the narrative, this device adds a surprising amount of mystery to the story, even though you already know the outcome. 

Mr. Grabau’s geographic background comes through when he vividly describes the unique terrain features of this part of Mississippi, as well as the effects on the campaign of the drastic variations in water level in the river itself.