Book Review: The Civil War and Reconstruction Eras: Documents Decoded

Abstract

Making his fourth contribution to the Documents Decoded series, John R. Vile provides critical commentary for more than sixty documents from the era. The organization is chronological, starting in 1859 and extending to 1877. Source documents are typically brief—averaging one to five pages, with a few longer texts such as the 1861 Constitution of the Confederate States. Designed with the needs of “high school students, college students, and general citizens in mind,” (xiv) each text includes an introduction of about a paragraph providing historical context, and a brief conclusion summarizing the significance of the document. A distinguishing feature of this collection is the reader-friendly approach. The print design is clean and uncluttered with copious white space. The annotations are provided alongside the relevant text, which is clearly highlighted. Placing the commentary side by side with the text makes it easy to go back and forth between the document and the added insights. Consistent with the intended general audience, the editorial additions are not dense scholarly treatments. Rather, they define unfamiliar historical language and elaborate on the meanings of specific sections. There is a list of further readings at the end of the volume; however, no recommendations accompany individual documents.