“Elihu Washburne: The Diary and Letters of America’s Minister to France During the Siege and Commune of Paris” provides a personal account of the inner workings of American diplomacy under under extremely difficult circumstances.

“The Campaign of 1863″ MMO has been a work in progress for several years. This beta report finds it has a lot going for it but still has a ways to go before it will be ready for release.

“The Civil War in Color” is a fascinating coffee-table sized book that adds life to “dusty images of a dustier past.” Period photographs have been electronically “cleaned up” to improve image quality and then colorized with careful attention to detail.

John Tiller’s games are accurate recreations of Civil War combat, and “Campaign Overland,” covering the 1864 duels between U.S. Grant and R.E. Lee, is no different. Unfortunately, neither are the 20-year-old graphics and sound.

“Scourge of War: Chancellorsville” offers PC gamers superlative graphics, a high level of realism and historical accuracy, and innovative game play, but it has a steep learning curve.

This is the solution to the Combat Decision Game “Confederate Guerrilla Attack, 1863” that was presented in the January 2013 issue of Armchair General® magazine.

‘Civil War 1863,’ an IOS game from Hunted Cow Studio, while not rivaling many of its PC counterparts, is an enjoyable game and presents players with interesting tactical challenges, at an excellent price.

A treasure trove of Civil War items was found in a long-buried cellar in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg.

As commander of a force of irregular Confederate cavalrymen, YOU lead your men against Union troops at Fort Blair, Kansas, in this Command Decision Game.

‘We Have the War Upon Us,’ by William J. Cooper, examines the role played by moderates and conservatives, in addition to the extremists, in starting the Civil War. It reads more like a political thriller than a historical textbook and excels as both.

‘Joshua L. Chamberlain: A Life in Letters’ examines letters written by Chamberlain or his wife. Much of the information is mundane, but his descriptions of Fredericksburg and Gettysburg are especially vivid.

Historian Ed Kennedy examines the actions of both sides during the Battle of Fort Pillow – one of the Civil War’s most controversial battles.

In ‘Tarnished Victory: Finishing Lincoln’s War’ William Marvel uses contemporary to describe events from May 1864 to June 1865 as current events – which they were for the soldiers and civilians of the time.

A reenactment marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Glorieta Pass, New Mexico, which is often called ‘the Gettysburg of the West.’

‘True Crime in the Civil War’ by Tobin T. Buhk covers a wide range of criminal activities related to the war, some well known and some that are not. The author examines multiple original sources and tries to mediate conflicting accounts.

On Park Day, March 31, 2012, volunteer some time at a national Civil War park or local historical site to help with painting, clean up, or a host of other one-day jobs.