Discover a forgotten chapter of American history with Steven Cowie's riveting account of the Battle of Antietam. The Battle of Antietam, fought in and around Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day in American history. Despite the large number of books and articles on the subject, the battle’s horrendous toll on area civilians is rarely discussed. When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and Its Impact on the Civilians Who Called It Home by Steven Cowie rectifies this oversight. By the time the battle ended about dusk that day, more than 23,000 men had been killed, wounded, or captured in just a dozen hours of combat—a grim statistic that tells only part of the story. The epicenter of that deadly day was the small community of Sharpsburg. Families lived, worked, and worshipped there. It was their home. And the horrific fighting turned their lives upside down. When Hell Came to Sharpsburg investigates how the battle and opposing armies wreaked emotional, physical, and financial havoc on the people of Sharpsburg. For proper context, the author explores the savage struggle and its gory aftermath and explains how soldiers stripped the community of resources and spread diseases. Cowie carefully and meticulously follows the fortunes of individual families like the Mummas, Roulettes, Millers, and many others—ordinary folk thrust into harrowing circumstances—and their struggle to recover from their unexpected and often devastating losses. Cowie’s comprehensive study is grounded in years of careful research. He unearthed a trove of previously unused archival accounts and examined scores of primary sources such as letters, diaries, regimental histories, and official reports. Packed with explanatory footnotes, original maps, and photographs, Cowie’s richly detailed book is a must-read for those seeking new information on the battle and the perspective of the citizens who suffered because of it. Antietam’s impact on the local community was an American tragedy, and it is told here completely for the first time.

Owen W. Gilman Jr. stresses the US experience of war in the twenty-first century and argues that wherever and whenever there is war, there will be imaginative responses to it, especially the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since the trauma of September 11, the experience of Americans at war has been rendered honestly and fully in a wide range of texts--creative nonfiction and journalism, film, poetry, and fiction. These responses, Gilman contends, have packed a lot of power and measure up even to World War II's literature and film. Like few other books, Gilman's volume studies these new texts-- among them Kevin Powers's debut novel The Yellow Birds and Phil Klay's short stories Redeployment, along with the films The Hurt Locker, American Sniper, and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. For perspective, Gilman also looks at some touchstones from the Vietnam War. Compared to a few of the big Vietnam books and films, this new material has mostly been read and watched by small audiences and generated less discussion. Gilman exposes the circumstances in American culture currently preventing literature and film of our recent wars from making a significant impact. He contends that Americans' inclination to demand distraction limits learning from these compelling responses to war in the past decade. According to Gilman, where there should be clarity and depth of knowledge, we instead face misunderstanding and the anguish endured by veterans betrayed by war and our lack of understanding.

In 'Dem Days Was Hell', the Work Projects Administration presents a collection of recorded testimonies from former slaves in 17 U.S. states. This powerful book provides an intimate look at the experiences of these individuals, shedding light on the harsh realities of slavery and its lasting impact. The testimonies are presented in a straightforward, unfiltered manner, allowing readers to connect with the raw emotions and personal stories of the individuals interviewed. The book serves as a valuable historical document, capturing the voices of those who lived through one of the darkest periods in American history. The Work Projects Administration, a New Deal agency established during the Great Depression, undertook this project as part of its efforts to document the experiences of Americans from all walks of life. Through 'Dem Days Was Hell', the WPA sought to preserve the stories of former slaves and ensure that their voices were not lost to history. The author's dedication to this important task is evident throughout the book, as each testimony is presented with care and respect. I highly recommend 'Dem Days Was Hell' to readers interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the impact of slavery on individuals and communities. This book offers a unique perspective on the institution of slavery and provides valuable insights into the lived experiences of those who endured its horrors.

In Tears From Heaven; Voices From Hell capital punishment issues are discussed from the viewpoint of the victims of violent crime and from those condemned to die on America's death rows. Explore the pros and cons of this controversial issue from those who have experienced the pain first hand: victims and death row inmates.

Morgan Latimer is a drifter, riding through the West trying to escape his past and especially trouble. He seeks peace. During his travels, he is forced to take shelter in a cave as a massive and ominous dirt storm plunges him into darkness. After the storm passes, Latimer overhears a scuffle breaking out between a man and a woman at a nearby creek. When the man becomes too fresh with the woman, Latimer – not being a man to sit back and watch a woman be assaulted – intervenes. Immediately, he knows he has found the trouble he was trying to avoid...

Spanning a thirty-year period, from the late 1800s until the 1920s, Hell Paso is the true story of the desperate men and notorious women that made El Paso, Texas the Old West’s most dangerous town. Supported by official court documents, government records, oral histories and period newspaper accounts, this book offers a bird’s eye view of the one-time “murder metropolis” of the Southwest.

In this lively account of Arizona's Rim Country War of the 1880s--what others have called "The Pleasant Valley War"--Historian Daniel Justin Herman explores a web of conflict involving Mormons, Texas cowboys, New Mexican sheepherders, Jewish merchants, and mixed-blood ranchers. At the heart of Arizona's range war, argues Herman, was a conflict between cowboys' code of honor and Mormons' code of conscience.

From the time she was born with Cerebral Palsy, Jean Starnes used her humor, determination and intelligence to meet many challenges. Hell on Wheels begins with her early years in a small West Texas town where her family had to insist the school system accept its responsibility to educate her. Jean's competitive, persistent nature served her well, as she attained two masters degrees, became a teacher and a Psychological Associate and adopted a son who is minimally handicapped. Hell on Wheels inspires, entertains and educates everyone. Because of its honesty and glimpses into unexpected intimate moments, Jean's book will appeal to the handicapped and the able-bodied alike.

The savings and loan collapse of the Reagan/Bush years was caused by a failure of the American political system. This is the full story of that failure, including the machinations of Neil Bush, told in absorbing detail by the Washington Post reporter who uncovered much of it herself from 1986-90 and who continues to be one of the scandal's most astute investigators.

The savings and loan debacle is the costliest scandal in the country's history. How could such a catastrophe have occurred? The most remarkable thing about the collapse of the savings and loan industry is that so many of the major participants--the regulators, politicians, and S&L operators themselves--chose to do nothing as they watched problems mount and taxpayer liabilities grow. That choice was dictated by a variety of motives: greed, political self-interest, and even (sometimes) misguided good intentions. Whatever the motives, this collective interest in hiding the debacle made it certain that the industry's final fall would come with an enormous bang, one that would force administrations that professed a free market philosophy essentially to nationalize a majority of the nation's thrifts. As a result, the industry in many respects became one of the best examples of socialism in the U.S. economy.