Women of the Civil War

By Michelle A. Krowl
Illustrated, 63 pp., 2006. The Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, DC. 20540-4980, $12.95 plus shipping.

Reviewer: Blake Magner
Blake A. Magner is the Book Review Editor of Civil War News. He makes his living as an editor, writer, cartographer and photographer of Civil War history. He is author of At Peace With Honor: The Civil War Burials of Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Review:
This nicely packaged book, which is part of the Women Who Dare series, is a nice overview of the role of women in the American Civil War. It covers the women who dressed as men in order to accompany their husbands to the field or simply out of a patriotic duty, as well as women who worked as spies, nurses or teachers.

What this reviewer found interesting was that the women covered were not the same old bunch that is profiled in almost every book he has read on the subject. Finally, this book provides some new names and faces.

The text is well-written and the photograph reproduction is excellent. Much of the information in this little volume is from the Library of Congress (the Preface is written by the Librarian of Congress). I would recommend this volume as a primer for the novice in women's participation in the Civil War or perhaps a young reader.