Sultana by Alan Huffman, 300 pages

The Sultana tragedy was the greatest maritime disaster in American history, and almost nobody knows about it. So when I saw this book I had to pick it up and give it a read. I was disappointed in the fact that it dealt more with before and after, rather than the actual event. It was still informative but not what I call an intriguing read.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, 355 pages

This was the July book for the Readers Without Borders book club. I'm not a huge fan of Civil War books except for Gone With The Wind and North & the South, so this book wasn't a favorite of mine. I think most of my dislike is tied up in the fact that I think it was a senseless war, fought because a group of people refused to see blacks as people instead of slaves. They can say state rights as much as they like, but it boils down to slavery. This book though wasn't a bad read. It covers the battle of Gettysburg and the 3 days involved. It tells the story from the viewpoint of just a few soldiers, using some of their actual words, known from historical documents. Basically, if you're a guy who enjoys war books, this is a must read.