Michael A. Cavanaugh Reflects On Civil War Book Business
By Michael A. Cavanaugh November '01 issue

Those of you who have been around this business for a while may remember the my old Civil War Book Exchange. The first issue was published in October 1974. It was four pages, mimeographed (remember those monsters?).

The purpose was to buy, sell or trade books for the GAR Library and Museum in Philadelphia. The publication found a need and steadily grew and published the first book review about a year later. After several years the late Michael Mullins became the first book review editor.

He and I did most of the reviewing until the flood of books made it necessary to start recruiting a small staff of reviewers. In the mid-1980s, I sold the Civil War Book Exchange to Pete and Kay Jorgensen. Soon after the Civil War Book Exchange evolved into today's The Civil War News.

Today, I am told by book review editor Blake Magner, The Civil War News publishes nearly 200 reviews a year with a staff of 55 reviewers. And not all the books received or reviewed are published due to space restrictions. It is estimated that book output relating to the Civil War will top over 500 titles this year.

Most of the major book dealers and publishers that were here 25 years ago are still around today. The used book business is not as strong today as years past. This, I believe, is due to the amount of new material published and the reprinting of old titles.

Some longtime dealers have turned to publishing, like Butternut and Blue in Baltimore and the Longstreet House in New Jersey. Morningside Books in Dayton, Ohio, and Thomas Publications in Pennsylvania are still major dealers and publishers.

Broadfoot Publishing Company in North Carolina reduced their old-book inventory and went to reprinting Civil War multi-volume ref-erence material such as the Official Records, Confederate Veteran, History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, and the Union and Confederate Rosters from the National Archives.

The Broadfoot Company, however, ventured into new territory when they published a 100-volume supplement to the Official Records. This material is reports and correspondence missed in the original printing of the Official Records. A short time ago Tom Broadfoot announced he was not buying book collections and was getting out of the used book business. This caused an uproar among his old customers and he quickly changed his mind.

Another major source of Civil War-related material are the university presses. They continue to pump out quality material with LSU Press and the University of North Carolina Press leading the way. The University of Virginia and Kent State University also publish many Civil War titles.

What is being published? Books on Lincoln and Gettysburg are still in the forefront. Certainly much of the output today can be labeled microhistory. New works on the first day and third day at Gettysburg have just been released. Books that concentrate on the fighting around the Round Tops and the faith of the Twenty-Sixth North Carolina at Gettysburg are good examples.

Regimental histories have not been ignored. The 100-volume Virginia Regimental History Series published by H.E. Howard of Appo-mattox has been completed. Several excellent works on Union and Confederate artillery have been released. There are also an abundance of reprints of regimental histories. Some are much improved with good introductions, rosters, photos, indexes, etc. Some not.

My personal favorites are the essay books. Major historians sub-mit articles on specific battles and Civil War personalities. The leader in this field is editor Dr. Gary Gallagher of the University of Virginia. There are also many books published on collecting Civil War relics and memorabilia. Books on reenacting supply the needs of one of the largest and fastest growing hobbies in America.

Much to the dismay of many there are books pro and con on the generalship of Robert E. Lee. One major newspaper columnist surmised that the stock in U.S. Grant is rising and Robert E. Lee's is falling. Biographies are still being published on the major players in the Civil War but many are of the lesser-known personalities. Writers are looking at commanders whose reputations were tarnished over the years in a new light. Two examples are Joseph Harsh's works on the Maryland Campaign and General George McClellan and Peter Cozzens's work on General John Pope. And, one of the most gratifying trends is the amount of new material published on the War in the West and Civil War navies. Long overdue.

Space limits me in acknowledging all those who are contributing to our vast knowledge of the country's most studied age. There are hundreds of historians and writers, professional and amateur, who - through lifelong study in some cases - have supplied us with the material to quench our great thirst for knowledge of the great conflict.

There are books, of course, that are just trying to cash in on the popularity of the Civil War. These can be weeded out by carefully reading the reviews in The Civil War News and other major publications. Look over the book. Check the bibliography. Is it extensive? Did the author cover all the major repositories and works relating to the subject?

Check the acknowledgments. Did they use the resources at the Na-tional Archives, the Library of Congress, the historical societies and university libraries? Did they use the vast resources of the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks or the manuscript collections at the Civil War national battlefield parks?

One who has read military history extensively can tell after a short inspection if a book is worth the time and expense.
There are those who say that in the age of the internet books are becoming obsolete. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just check the pages of The Civil War News and other like publications. Go into the book super stores (the downside is the demise of the small mom-and-pop book dealer). Books will always be with us. Just like a new car, there is nothing like the smell of a new book or even an old one.

One last thing. I am very proud of what my little four-page mimeographed tabloid has become. The Civil War News is a leader in the world of Civil War publications. It all boils down to the hard work of Pete and Kay Jorgensen and their staff and the excellent work by book review editor Blake Magner. I know that The Civil War News will be around for years to come. The need is there.

Michael A. Cavanaugh is the past president of the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table and is a member of the Board of Governors at the Civil War Library and Museum of Philadelphia. He has authored and co-authored five books on the Civil War, including two Vir-ginia regimentals and a history of the 76th Pennsylvania Infantry, the Keystone Zouaves.
He also co-authored a commanders photo guide to the battle of Gettysburg.

He is best-known for his years of work on the July 30, 1864, battle of the Crater, Petersburg, Va. He and William Marvel published a book about it in 1989 for The Virginia Battles and Leaders Series.

Mike recently compiled the previously unpublished papers of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States for Broadfoot Publishing Company and is one of the few honorary members of that organization. Current projects include a biography of Gen. William Mahone at the battle of Gettysburg.

He has presented numerous programs to Civil War round tables, historic organizations, schools, and groups on the battle of the Crater, the death of Gen. Turner Ashby, and the battle of Cramp-ton's Gap, Sept. 14, 1862. He received the Annual Award of Merit for his work in historic preservation from the Delaware Valley Civil War Round Table in 1997.