The Civil War: 150 Years Later

May 9, 2011

Guest blogger Kim Dutch remembers the bloodiest conflict in American history.

This year is the 150th anniversary, or the Sesquicentennial (which I’m still having trouble pronouncing!), of the Civil War.  In that spirit, there are very few topics which bind us more than wars that were fought that eventually made our nation greater.  I was fortunate enough to grow up with a war history buff in the family and was particularly fascinated by the Civil War.  It amazed me how brothers fought brothers, families were divided, and that each side had such fierce loyalties.  Men and women sacrificed with no further thought or gain than “This is my duty and my honor to serve” – and sacrifices were made by all sides. 

“The Civil War at a Glance” tells the story in a poignant and entertaining series of break downs.  The brochure is organized yearly using maps and chronologies.  It begins with the Eastern Theater in 1861, when Northerners called it the War of the Rebellion and the Southerners deemed it the War Between the States.  Regardless, it resulted in “pitting two vast sections of a young and vigorous nation against each other.”  For the next four years, the Union forces would struggle to get to Richmond, the Confederate capital.  Most of that fight would take place between Washington and Richmond – there’s even a breakdown by State and number of battles thought to have been fought in each.  The author lays out the path the rest of the war took in the Western Theater, too, until the end in 1865. Along the way the battles and campaigns are summarized succinctly and are easy to follow so you can get a great sense of what occurred.   It concisely explains how some battles were pivotal, the paths and strategies used to win (or fail), and the men who led them.

The author quotes Mark Twain, who said the war had “uprooted institutions that were centuries old … transformed the social life of half the country, and wrought so profoundly upon the entire national character that the influence cannot be measured short of two or three generations.”  I’d like to think that those factors since have been transformed us into a greater nation with better rights and civil liberties for all.

You can find a plain text version at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/misc/civilwar/civilwar.htm.  But what REALLY stood out was a colorful and user friendly online site, http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/history/a_civilwar.html, which has a wealth of information.  It has an interactive feature that allows you to create maps based on State boundaries and links throughout the site for more information about people, dates, and places. 

If you want your own personal copy, you can order it here.If you would like printed copies in packages, visit the GPO Online Bookstore. The folder makes for a handy and quick reference resource for individuals and schools and other groups.  Also, it’s easy to bring along if you’re actually visiting the areas and want to have the information and timelines on hand.

There’s no shortage of information on the Civil War out there, but it’s nice to have it summarized for those of us who may have forgotten some of our history lessons…not me, of course!

 For more celebrating and commemorating: The National Park Service has an Internet page dedicated to the Civil War’s 150th anniversary, http://www.nps.gov/civilwar150, where you can find further publications, activities, and parks – it even has a site where you can search for individual soldiers.  GPO has also put together a special sale of Civil War publications in its Special Collections section, http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/civilwar.jsp, to honor the occasion.  I think you can never have enough recommendations and amazing stories about this war!

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Fun with the Census

May 4, 2011

Guest blogger Ingrid Reyes-Arias has some Census tips for kids of all ages.

As a child, I remember using interactive learning programs on the Internet, like “The Oregon Trail.” Nowadays information is even more readily available, allowing us to spend more time learning and less time researching. For me, the best way to learn is still interactively.  That’s why it delights me to see the many online initiatives taken by Federal Government agencies to teach valuable skills to children. These agencies have created fun and interactive teaching materials targeted to kids that can still be used by adults like me – or you!  It’s a great way to have some fun and learn about our complicated and fascinating world.

For example, the U.S. Census Bureau has created Census for Kids, an interactive Web site for children.  The introductory portion of this site focuses on explaining the various U.S. censuses.  It shows the different types of items the Bureau counts when collecting census data, such as children, adults, pets, and houses.  In addition, Census for Kids has an interactive United States map with data on population, geography, and business for each state – all of which can be useful when completing a project for school or learning fun facts to become a more informed citizen.  After studying the facts, children can take quizzes to test their knowledge.  Census for Kids also has memory games and word finds, which I always enjoyed in school myself!

Give it a try! The next time you find yourself figuring out how to entertain your child or student, start by visiting this Web site – and maybe you’ll learn something as well!

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Navy and Marine POWs in Vietnam

May 2, 2011

For some time now, the Naval History & Heritage Command has been producing concise studies of the Navy’s role during the Vietnam War. In previous posts, I’ve blogged about Navy Medicine in Vietnam and The Approaching Storm, the latter covering the decade-long run up to the introduction of combat troops in 1965. Today’s subject is The Battle Behind Bars: Navy and Marine POWs in the Vietnam War. The author, the late Stuart Rochester, was particularly well qualified to write on this subject, since he was the co-author of what must be considered the definitive account of POWs in Vietnam – Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973 – published by the Army’sCenter ofMilitary History.

A personal note:This is the first time I’ve written about a book whose author I knew personally. Stuart and I worked together for years, on and off – he as deputy and then chief historian at the Pentagon’s Historical Office and me as a GPO marketing contact for his office’s books. We talked mainly by phone, although we did meet in person a couple of times. He was great to work with, a fine scholar, and I regret he wasn’t able to enjoy his position of chief historian longer before his untimely death from cancer in 2009.

The Battle Behind Bars, as the subtitle indicates, focuses on Navy and Marine POWs. Most of the Navy personnel captured during the war were pilots, so they formed a close-knit group of like-minded individuals. One exception was Seaman Apprentice Douglas B. Hegdahl, who was swept overboard from the missile cruiser Canberra and picked up by North Vietnamese fishermen. In a terrific sidebar, the book describes the incredulity of Hegdahl’s captors when he told them how he had come to be swimming in the Gulf ofTonkin – they understandably found his story so incredible that they assumed he was a spy! Once they accepted that he was a raw recruit, an enlisted man, and had trouble seeing due to the loss of his glasses in the water, he became a kind of camp mascot, perceived as not that bright. In realty, he was smart, alert, and able to serve as a secret mailman for other prisoners under the noses of the guards. He also had a retentive memory that let him memorize a huge amount of information about other POWs, which he revealed to the Navy after his early release by the Vietnamese.  

Another sidebar discusses the use of a “tap code” by Navy POWs to communicate via their cell walls. Initially a simple code, it was changed often to prevent detection, to the point where Defense Intelligence Agency personnel had difficulty in decoding some of the samples the prisoners brought back after their release.

It wasn’t all movie derring-do, however. The book details the poor conditions, attempted ideological indoctrination, and sometimes brutal treatment of prisoners in North Vietnam and the even worse situation of POWS in the South, where they shared the miserable living conditions of their Viet Cong captors. The author is fair-minded enough to point out instances, such as in the area of medical treatment, where the Vietnamese often did provide decent care, albeit under primitive conditions. Overall, though, captivity in Vietnam was a prolonged ordeal which, even as conditions eased after 1970, meant years of misery for American POWs.

This is a fine study of a controversial subject and a fitting capstone to the career of a talented scholar. You can get a copy of The Battle Behind Bars here or find it in a library here.

9 Comments | U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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Partnering in Latin America’s Defense

April 27, 2011

Anyone reading the international news these days knows about the turmoil currently engulfing a number of nations in the Middle East. In fact, for the past decade, it’s hard to think of a time when the headlines weren’t about some hot spot or another in that volatile part of our world. This wouldn’t surprise the Latin Americanists among us; it sometimes seems that the Southern Hemisphere is terra incognita for the media.

That’s one reason why Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command is so refreshing. This new book from the National Defense University, written by Admiral James G. Stavrides, formerly in charge of the Southern Command, focuses on the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean as if they are more than just “America’s backyard” – a phrase that the author dislikes intensely. He sees this area as “our shared home” – shared with nations that take enormous pride in their histories and cultures and sometimes view their large North American co-tenant with some misgivings. Partly this is due to another misconception: “all the countries down there are pretty much the same.” Partnership for the Americas is adamant that the diverse languages and cultures in the hemisphere all deserve greater study and respect.

In this post-Cold war era, concerns about subversion have been replaced by what the book sees as the real issues – gangs, drugs, and crime. After citing some appalling statistics about the international drug trade as it affects the Southern hemisphere, it points to developments in trafficking that require more than a local or even regional response. Take, for instance, the SPSS, or self-propelled semi-submersible (left). These drug-transporting vessels, about 60 to 80 feet long, transport tons of cocaine, are almost invisible from any distance, and  designed to be scuttled at their destination or if intercepted by any military or police vessels. It’s easy to see how the Navy might be helpful here!

Partnership for the Americas also focuses on the need to be aware of human rights issues, the role of Southern Command personnel in health care and humanitarian relief efforts, and innovation in the way the military interacts with other nations to accomplish mutually desirable aims. It’s a thoughtful book that policymakers, members of the military, and anyone interested in this part of the world could benefit from reading. You can browse through it here, get a copy here, or locate it in a library.

6 Comments | National Defense University | Tagged: , , | Permalink
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The History and Legacy of the Space Shuttle

April 25, 2011

Did you know that Rush and Judy Collins both wrote songs about the Space Shuttle? That excess Shuttle propellant is used in a small device that burns through and safely ignites the explosives within land mine casings? That Varicella-Zoster virus, the causative agent of chicken pox and shingles, appeared in the saliva of asymptomatic astronauts while in space, leading to development of a rapid, sensitive test that doctors could use to diagnose shingles and facilitate early antiviral therapy? These are just a few of the remarkable facts packed into a spectacular new book from NASA: Wings in Orbit: Scientific and Engineering Legacies of the Space Shuttle. Published to coincide with the ending of the Space Shuttle program, Wings in Orbit is a beautifully illustrated and information-filled collection of essays on just about every aspect of this long-lived and amazingly productive scientific and technical achievement.

After a through review of the history of the Shuttle program, including the Challenger and Columbia accidents and the role of the Shuttle in national security, Wings in Orbit goes on to cover its engineering aspects, scientific discoveries, social, cultural, and educational legacies, industries and spin-offs), and testimonies from the famous and not so famous about the Shuttle and its role in human spaceflight.

I’m not a real space buff, but I found this book totally absorbing. Also, it’s profusely illustrated with color photos and diagrams, although the photo that most intrigued me was totally monochromatic – a shot of Mt. St. Helens just after the colossal eruption of May 18, 1980. Absent the caption, I would have supposed it to be a photo of the moon or Mars – a striking tribute to the power of nature and the unblinking eye of the Space Shuttle.

You can get a taste of Wings in Orbit here, purchase a copy here (and I understand that at least one major book chain may be stocking it), and browse in a copy at a library.

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West Side Story Project Toolkit: Crime Prevention on a New Stage

April 20, 2011

Guest blogger Jana Sabol looks at how police and kids can find common ground on the stage of a classic American musical

Many of us are familiar with the plot of West Side Story, the award-winning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Set inNew York City in the mid-1950s, the story revolves around the rivalry between the Jets, a white working-class gang, and the Sharks fromPuerto Rico. The rival gangs battle for territory and respect as a romance forms between a Jet and the sister of a Shark.

Working off the theme of West Side Story, the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) has created a toolkit to address youth violence and youth-police relations. Schools across the country perform their own adaptations of the class West Side Story every year, so it seems like a great next step to bring these tool kits into schools and communities to help address the issues of gang prevention, youth–police relations, and cultural conflict. For those unfamiliar with the musical, the toolkit not only provides the tools to reduce conflict, solve problems, and build relationships but also the opportunity to experience musical theatre.

The West Side Story Project Toolkit: Crime Prevention on a New Stage consists of a set of 5 booklets, a CD, and a DVD. Incidentally, GPO’s own Creative Services group designed and developed the toolkit brand/logo and created a kit folder for the training and guidance materials. It’s a great opportunity to get a community involved in collaboration with kids, police, and local arts groups to curb youth-violence and improve youth-police relations, while at the same time introducing live musical theater to those who previously were unacquainted with it. You can get your copy here or find it in a library.

5 Comments | Department of Justice | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
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All-American Ethnic Music: Reels, Polkas, Klezmer, Cajun, and More

April 18, 2011

Several years ago, I was standing in line to pay for some books at a used book sale. A man ahead of me had one of those two-wheeled folding shopping carts full of LPs. He was explaining to another person in the line that he was a musicologist and most of the records in the cart were for his colleagues. He then said that his own specialty was Jewish music of South America. It was a revelation to me that there was such a musical niche, although I don’t know why I was so surprised. After all, I’m ethnic myself – Scottish on my father’s side and Polish on my mother’s – and all of my grandparents were born overseas. I never heard much Scottish music growing up, except bagpipes, but my hometown and surrounding areas of northern New Jersey had enough Polish-American communities to support at least some Polish-language programming, including plenty of polka music, and not just “Who Stole the Kishka?”

Maybe my own ethnic roots explain my interest in Ethnic Recordings in America: A Neglected Heritage, a Library of Congress American Folklife Center gem from the Government Book Talk out-of- print horde. This pioneering effort in the field includes an introduction to recorded ethnic music beginning in the 1920s, both major labels (Victor,Columbia, and Edison) and independents (including Gaelic [Irish], Italianstyle [Italian], Panhellion [Greek], La Patrie [French-Canadian], and Macksoud [Arabic], and many more). It also traces ethnic recording history in the U.S. After the big bust of the Great Depression, ethnic records boomed again in the later 1930s through the mid-1940s before becoming marginalized by assimilation, changing tastes, and the hard economics of the recording business. Yet pockets of traditional music, whether Tex-Mex, Cajun, or Finnish, still persist, and musicians now produce CDs or mp3s instead of vinyl records. Ethnic music even attracts non-ethnic musicians, who ring new changes on Balkan, Hawaiian, and Latino melodies – maybe even more so now than was the case in 1982, when this book was published.

Ethnic Recordings in America also features essays on Irish records, the great Mexican-American singer Lydia Mendoza, and yes, “The Sajewski Story: Eighty Years of Polish Music in Chicago.” Each essay is illustrated by rare photos of record labels, sheet music, and musicians of many ethnicities. Checklists and discographies also provide reference resources for those interested in probing deeper into the music and record collections of the Library of Congress and other archives. I didn’t have any luck finding the text via the Internet, but you can find copies through various used book sites, or in a library. As for me, it’s time to get in touch with my roots – but which roots? – Alex Beaton or Frankie Yankovic? Only in America!

7 Comments | Library of Congress (LOC) | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
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Planning a Vacation? How About a Place Less Frequented?

April 15, 2011

Guest blogger Tina Perantonakis likes to check out lesser-known national parks – and some of them are free!

Growing up as a native Washingtonian, my knowledge of our national parks was limited to the sites in and surrounding the National Mall, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. As I started traveling more throughout the United States, I had the opportunity to visit some of the most popular national parks, including Yellowstone, Redwood, and Golden Gate, but I gained the most pleasure in discovering and exploring those that are lesser known. Most recently, I visited Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  Mesa Verde houses arguably the most impressive cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people. 
 
To commemorate National Park Week, which is April 16-24, 2011, I am highlighting a book published by the National Park Service: The National Parks: Index 2009-2011. This book has become indispensable in my travel planning, as it contains listings of National Park System areas by state, in addition to National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and the National Trails System. Although the Index is not intended to be a guidebook, nor does it contain standard guidebook information such as visiting hours, trails, and campground locations, it does provide the administrative addresses and brief descriptions of the sites – and these descriptions often include interesting facts.  Did you know that there is a national park in American Samoa devoted to protecting tropical rainforests, coral reefs, and fruit bats?  I certainly did not – until I read the entry in the National Parks Index.

This year, the National Park Service will be offering several fee-free days at more than 100 parks that usually charge an entrance fee.  I plan to take advantage of the fee-free days by visiting several Civil War historical sites, including Antietam National Battlefield  in Maryland and Appomattox Court House National Historical Park inVirginia.

For more information on National Parks Week, visit here. To take advantage of the National Park Service free entrance days, visit here.  To purchase a copy of The National Parks: Index 2009-2011, visit here.  You can also find it in a library.

6 Comments | National Park Service | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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The First Collection of President Obama’s Public Papers

April 13, 2011

I think that the Public Papers of the Presidents is one of the Federal Government’s most distinguished series of publications – and not just because my name once appeared in one of its volumes. Each President since Herbert Hoover (except Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose papers were published privately prior to the inauguration of the official series) has had his papers and speeches printed in these imposing and austerely handsome volumes, usually issued twice a year by the National Archives and Records Administration’s Office of the Federal Register.

I bring this up because the first volume of President Barack Obama’s Public Papers has just hit the Government Book Talk main desk (at 1,030 pages, plus an extensive index, it hit with great impact, too.) Every President gets his own binding color, and President Obama’s is a navy blue, with the usual cool gold stamping. In addition to the text, it includes a few color photographs of the President and First Lady – in all, a fine example of GPO’s expertise in traditional printing even as it continues to innovate in the digital arena. (The President gets his own special leather-bound copy personally delivered by the Public Printer of the United States – and as he points out, we don’t do many of those!) To see how GPO does it, click here.

Well, it’s great that these are such beautiful books, but what about the content? It shows that Presidents turn up everywhere, from the Tonight show (page 301) to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (page 759) to a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin (page 802). The topics of his speeches, interviews, and news conferences are as diverse as the duties of America’s Chief Executive – health care, foreign relations, economic crises, and even history, as shown by his visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp (page 781). I was particularly touched by his brief statement regarding the victims of a horrendous 2009 Metro subway crash here in DC (page 873) – it happened not long after I rode the same subway line home from work that day.

Perhaps no book better conveys the range of responsibility our Presidents must shoulder every day of their terms. It’s a volume for browsing, revisiting the issues of President Obama’s first six months in office, and wondering how any President deals with the myriad demands on his time, energy, and intellect. You can do your own browsing here or add a copy to your personal library from here. For other volumes in this fine series, you can visit GPO’s Federal Digital System for those issued since 1991 or check our online bookstore by searching under “public papers” to see which ones are still in print.

9 Comments | National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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“Uncivilized Warfare”: Defeating the Kaiser’s U-Boats

April 8, 2011

I’ve been on a bit of a World War I binge lately. In addition to my own at-home reading (most recently a book on naval battles of the First World War and a biography of Colonel Edward M. House, Woodrow Wilson’s closest foreign policy advisor during and immediately after the war), in recent weeks I’ve blogged about World War I aerial reconnaissance, Army nurses, and Stars and Stripes, the doughboys’ newspaper. Maybe it’s because of the recent death of Frank Buckles, the last American veteran of the Great War, or because in another three years we’ll be hearing about the centennial of the war’s outbreak. Given that “the war to end all wars” kicked off what many historians view as one war that lasted from 1914 to 1945 with a 20-year intermission, that its repercussions still echo today, and that it was fought on or near every continent, I find the subject to be one of endless, multifaceted interest.

Because Americans tend to focus on such incidents as the sinking of the Lusitania, it’s easy to forget how deadly a weapon the German U-Boat was on an ongoing basis and how close it came to success. According to Defeating the U-boat: Inventing Antisubmarine Warfare, a new book from the U.S. Naval War College, after a meeting between U. S. Rear Admiral William Sims and the Royal navy’s Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Jellicoe in which the struggle against the U-boats was discussed, Sims cabled Washington to say “briefly stated, I consider that at the present moment we are losing the war.” A major part of the problem was England’s utter unpreparedness to fight an anti-submarine war. This was partly due to the belief that no “civilized” nation would engage in unrestricted submarine warfare, i.e. firing torpedoes at non-military vessels without warning and making no effort to aid or pick up survivors. After trying anti-submarine patrols,  “barrages” or barriers in the Strait of Dover, mines, and the employment of Q-ships (freighters and other civilian craft with concealed/camouflaged guns that could snag U-boats playing by the old “fair warning” rules), it was the development of the convoy system that proved most decisive. Yet such was the ambivalence of many officers (and even Winston Churchill) about the “defensive-mindedness” of convoys that even in World War II it took far too long for Allied navies, including the American navy, to use the convoy against Nazi U-boats.

In its concluding chapter, the author, Jan S. Breemer, reflects on the general tendency of large bureaucracies in general avoid decisions that involve risk.  It also makes the specific point that the Royal Navy in World War I viewed the protection of shipping and the sinking of U-boats as separate issues instead of the two parts of a strategic whole. In other words, combine sluggish bureaucracy and blinkered strategy and you come up with an almost lethal combination. As the great naval historian Arthur Marder put it, “sinking submarines is a bonus, not a necessity.” It took a long while for this lesson to sink in (excuse the pun!)

Defeating the U-boat is a neat little book that’s readable and furnishes a lot of useful information very concisely. It would be a great asset to any World War I buff’s collection. You can read it here, get that copy for your collection here, or seek it out at a library.

5 Comments | Naval War College, U.S. Navy | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
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A Closer Look at the FBI

April 7, 2011

Guest blogger Kelly Seifert has found a real page-turner of a Government book.

There’s something captivating about the inner workings and countless cases of the FBI. Who hasn’t thought about how interesting it must be to serve as an FBI agent? I think there’s something mysterious and fascinating about the professionals working around the globe to protect the Nation and its citizens.

In 2008, the FBI celebrated its 100 anniversary and, as part of that celebration, released, The FBI: A Centennial History, 1908-2008. This 130-page coffee table book features detailed accounts of more than 40 famous FBI cases; over 300 photographs, including many never before seen by the public; and abundant reference materials on fallen agents, FBI Directors, and more.

The book traces the FBI’s journey from fledgling startup to one of the most respected and recognized names in national security. It covers World War I and the early days of terrorism, the gangster era of the 1920s and 30s, World War II and the Cold War, the 60s and its civil rights movement, the Watergate years, the rise of global terror and crime, and the post 9/11 era.

Especially intriguing is the FBI’s transformation over time. The advances in technology and instruments the Bureau uses in protecting our national security, combined with its growth from 34 to 30,000 agents over the years, makes for an exciting and absorbing read. Find The FBI: A Centennial History, 1908-2008 online, get your own copy and settle in for a thrilling ride here, or investigate it at a library.

5 Comments | Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
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Raising and Preserving Native Plants

April 6, 2011

It’s been a cool and rainy spring so far, but my yard is starting to green up. I planted a native beautyberry bush (Callicarpa americana) last year and I’m anxious to see whether we’ll see the berries this time around. Since growing things – especially native plants – is on my mind, I naturally turned to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service for both inspiration and instruction.

I’m not quite ready to start my own nursery, but if I were, the Nursery Manual for Native Plants: A Guide for Tribal Nurseries would be a big help. Although this book had its origin in several meetings with tribal members to discuss their needs for native plants, facilities, and training, and it uses plants important to Native Americans as examples, anyone interested in the propagation of native species of plants can find a lot to interest them here.

Take seeds, for instance. Although there are commercial sources for some native plants, it’s obviously possible to head into the woods and gather your own – but would you know what to look for, and at what time of year? You need to know when plants flower (and for many species, that’s not so obvious) and the best timing to gather a given seed crop. Another essay in the book talks about how to get seeds to germinate. To propagate some species, you need to use scarification – disrupting an impermeable seedcoat so water and oxygen can enter dormant seeds. Some seeds need fire (there’s a section on smoking them as a technique), digestive acids in the stomachs of animals, or abrasion by blowing sand or ice. I guess I won‘t be trying this kind of thing at home, but it’s great for budding nursery growers and interesting to read about.

Because the Nursery Manual for Native Plants is filled with the wonderful common names of such species, occasionally you can find bits of “found poetry”, like this one:

Common Dioecious Plants

ash

buffaloberry

cottonwood

fourwing saltbush

joint fir

maple

silverberry

willow

Nursery Manual for Native Plants holds great charm for feeble home gardeners like me, as well as a trove of great information for Native Americans or anyone else with a serious commitment to propagating and harvesting America’s unparalleled herbaceous and woody wealth. You can browse through it here, get your own copy here, or find it in a library.

 

5 Comments | U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
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