Images From The Storm will appeal to two audiences: those who appreciate treatises on early military art and those with an interest in the Civil War. The Virginia Historical Society unearthed a treasure trove of photos by Union photographer Robert Knox Sneden: this shares his handwritten memoir and a sampling of his storehouse of nearly 1,000 watercolors, sketches and engravings about the war. An outstanding example of military art.

If you love to see pictures from a fascinating time in American history, this is your book. The details and the description really put you there to experience what was happening. No flowery, romatic view of war from this guy!! This book provides
extra pictures that were not included in "Eye of the Storm".
Don't miss this piece of history.

Private Sneden, a survivor of the Civil War was long forgotten when this was published recently. What is so vital about this book is that it is untouched by politicians, generals,and other propogandists of that era. Furthermore it is done through the viewpoint of the artists eyes, and done by his hand - without the editorial expections of the time.

It is so refreshing to see this long studied subject being given a fresh viewpoint from someone who was actually there.

Recommeded for any serious student of the Civil War.

First let me state, this book should not be read by a novice, seeking to learn the history or cause of the Civil War, but if one is highly knowledgeable on this topic, this book, is a good 'PC' version.
Mr. Lankford does a wonderful job of bringing that era of Richmond to life, but he seems to believe in the current 'political cause' of the Civil war.
With all the research done, I am surprised he has not found other documents, or historical facts that dismiss his views.
By page 5, I came very close to throwing the book away, when I read of General Lee, riding into Richmond in his "misbegotten attempt to set up a separate republic built on human chattel, slavery."
Historical facts actually record Lee's daughters teaching the slaves to read, and Lee stating, "There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political
evil." - Col. Robert E. Lee, USA - December 27, 1856
Or "If I thought this war was to abolish slavery, I would resign my commission, and offer my sword to the other side." --- Ulysses S. Grant
Mr. Lankford then attempts to state that Lincoln wanted equal rights for the African Americans! Here again, the facts bear out Lincoln by his own speeches--"Negro equality, Fudge!! How long in the Government of a God great enough to make and maintain this Universe, shall there continue to be knaves to vend and fools to gulp, so low a piece of demagoguism as this?" -- Abraham Lincoln 1859 [Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol III, PP 399, Basler, ed.]
Or
During the fourth Lincoln-versus-Stephen Douglas debate on Sept. 18, 1858, in Charleston, Ill., Lincoln emphatically stated his view of the role of black people in American society:

"I will say that I am not nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters of the free Negroes, or jurors, or qualifying them to hold office, or having them marry with white people.

"I will say in addition that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which, I suppose, will forever forbid the two races living together upon terms of social and political equality; and inasmuch as they cannot so live, that while they do remain together, there must be the position of the superiors and the inferiors; and that I, as much as any other man, am in favor of the superior position assigned to the white man." ." The Collected
Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume III, "Fourth Debate
with Stephen A. Douglas at Charleston, Illinois" (September 18, 1858), pp.
145-146.")

Rm. Lankford continually implies the Union army was the "army of freedom" PP. 118, line 14, through the entire novel. On page 244 Mr. Lankford again attacks Lees character, when Lee went to kneel beside the freed slave, at St. Pauls church, by stating the person that reported it, "could not have divined what was in Lee's mind" ( Do we suppose Mr. Lankford does?)
For the aforementioned reasons, I can only give this book one star.

I would give Mr. Lankford an A+ for his graphic description of the women crying in church, during the first Sunday, after Union occupation. Actually much of the description is very nicely done.

I would like to see Mr. Lankford write more books on the civil war era, but hope he would be less biased, in his future books.

Minnesota Senator Morton Wilkerson stated the only hope for the country was the "death of the President and a new administration" PP. 205
I've read extensively about this, and would wish Mr. Lankford would write a book, on who actually pulled the strings behind the Lincoln assassination and cover-up. ( Booth escaped on THE ONLY BRIDGE THAT STANTON did not close, he was a suspect, other northern senators also openly expressed the desire for Lincoln to be shot)
Mr. Lankford, you write a book on that topic, I'll be the first to buy a copy.

At the beginning of RICHMOND BURNING we see Robert E. Lee ride into town in the rain. This is pretty much the last time we get to see him. Lankford edits the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography and lives in Richmond so we can understand why he might be interested in the politics of running the city after the evacuation of the Confederate government, but a reader of popular history might be disappointed in his emphasis on minor characters, such as Major General Godfrey Weitzel, who administered the city for a time after Davis and his government left. Even the pictures leave something to be desired. There's one of Robert E. Lee standing on the porch of his rented home taken by Matthew Brady. Supposedly there's another one where Lee is shown with his nephew Fitzhugh I would've liked to've seen. No such luck.
I was momentarily absorbed when Lankford showed Jefferson Davis leaving the city on a train carrying what was left of the Confederate treasury. It would have been interesting to see how Davis was captured, but Lankford has narrowed his focus to Richmond, so that wasn't possible. Even the fire isn't much to speak of. Davis orders what's left of the Confederate pickets to set fire to the tobacco warehouses and the wind spreads the fire; the Union Army puts it out in two days.
The most intriguing part of the book is when Lincoln shows up. Lee's army has not been defeated and here he is without an escort. Lincoln further complicates matters by allowing former Supreme Court justice, John Archibald Campbell to summon the Virginia legislature to discuss seceding from the Confederacy. We get a glimpse of Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's powerful secretary of war, who puts the fritz to that notion in a hurry.
Lankford also seems to have reinvented the wheel. In his acknowledgments, he mentions Rembert Patrick's THE FALL OF RICHMOND, written only forty years ago. Although Lankford has done extensive research, there doesn't seem to a reason for another version.

It is hard to see how this book could be improved upon. It is meticulously researched and footnoted, and there is a comprehensive bibliography. The viewpoint of the author is not pro-secessionist, albeit he tells us he lives in Richmond. This book literally allows one to live the last days of Confederate Richmond with the people who were there, and I found this was an experience well worth the time spent reading the book. It is a good supplementary companion to Jay Winik's April 1865: The Month that Saved America.

The book should have been called sleep inducing. Blah, basically what we have here is a 350 page boring article about who this guy met in his life - the bigger the name the more pages. I came away after reading half of the book wondering how this thing ever got the green light. You will not learn much here. Save your time and money.

This biography of David K.E. Bruce provides an interesting look into all the world of the Political heavy weights of the middle 50 years of the 20th century. Bruce managed to cross paths with an amazing number of famous people, from his days as a World War One Messenger to being Head of the US OSS Office in London during WW2, to his being US Ambasador to France, West Germany, the UK, and then US Representative to the People's Republic of China. I found this a great book.