First Look

This is an issue of firsts. Never before has the WQ’s Current Books section been devoted entirely to a single subject, as it is with this issue’s focus on the Civil War in honor of the war’s sesquicentennial. Literary editor Sarah Courteau has created a delightful and informative assemblage of reviews and short essays covering everything from the war’s great leaders and battles to novels that capture the trials and tribulations of the anonymous millions who were caught up in the conflict. Best of all, to my mind, the section is much like a battlefield itself in a rare moment free of smoke and haze, with the many contending arguments about the origins and consequences of America’s great war visible to all.