Game Inside

This is a double book review. The two books are set up the same and written by the same author and so rather than do separate reviews it is easier to do them together. Reed, Fred. Abraham Lincoln: The Image of His Greatness . Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, GA, 2009. Index, bibliography, notes, color and b/w photos, ISBN 9780794827045, $29.95. Reed, Fred. Abraham Lincoln: Beyond the American Icon . Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, GA, 2013. Index, bibliography, notes, color and b/w photos, ISBN 9780794837419, $29.95. For any collector of Abraham Lincoln items these books are great starting points to see the array of fields and items available. The books have a nice mix of text and illustrations and are appropriate for any level. The text is chronological. Both books are broken into five chapters: 1809-1865, 1865-1909, 1909-1959, 1959-2009, and 2009-beyond. The text is in small bites with most showcasing a particular day and important events. The text is not a...

Recker, Stephen. Rare Images of Antietam: And the Photographers Who Took Them . Another Software Miracle, LLC, Sharpsburg, MD. Index, bibliography, maps, b/w and color photos. 152 pages, 147 pages of text. ISBN 9780971548619, $29.95. September 17, 1862 is a date that will likely stand forever as the most bloody day in American history. Approximately 23,000 Americans would be killed, wounded, or missing. Their memory stills haunts the Antietam National Battlefield today. While the very early photos by Alexander Gardner have been well documented by William Frassanito in Antietam: The Photographic Legacy of Americas Bloodiest Day as Recker admirably shows this was not the end of Antietam photography but rather the beginning. Mr. Recker has put forth a monumental goal for himself: "...marks the beginning of my attempt to document, organize, and interpret, in a comprehensive fashion, the historical photographs associated with the Maryland Campaign of 1862, taken after Alexander Gardner...

Hardy, Michael C. Grandfather Mountain (Images of America) . Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014. 128 pages. ISBN 9781467121040, $21.99. If you have ever been to a historic location or been in a new bookstore you are most likely familiar with the Images of America series. These price friendly books can provide a quality reminder of a vacation while possibly adding to the visitors knowledge of an area. They are a standard in many cities and unfortunately sometimes serve as the only book available. It would seem possible that at some point the well would run dry on opportunities for this series. It hasnt yet though and veteran North Carolina writer Michael C. Hardy has recently published a volume on Grandfather Mountain, the nearly 6,000 feet high North Carolina mountain that is the highest peak in the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains. Depending on your point of view Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a state park, or a non-profit organization. Mr. Hardy does a good job cover...