Howe’s autobiographical record was originally published in 1925. Out of print for some time, this book is now available in a paperback reprint, offering a new introduction by James F. Richardson, professor of history and urban studies at the University of Akron. Richardson’s helpful analysis covers Howe’s distinguished career in public life and evaluates his contributions to early twentieth-century America.

For more than fifty years the journal Civil War History has presented the best original scholarship in the study of America’s greatest struggle. The Kent State University Press is pleased to present a multivolume series reintroducing the most influential of the more than 500 articles published in the journal. From military command, strategy, and tactics, to political leadership, abolitionism, the draft, and women’s issues, from the war’s causes to its aftermath and Reconstruction, Civil War History has published pioneering and provocative analyses of the determining aspects of the Middle Period.

On September 19 and 20, 1863, the Union Army of the Cumberland and the Confederate Army of Tennessee fought a horrific battle along Chickamauga Creek in northern Georgia. Although the outcome of this chaotic action was a stunning Confederate victory, the campaign ended with a resounding Union triumph at Chattanooga. The ill-fated Army of Tennessee never won another major battle, while the Army of the Cumberland was ultimately separated from its beloved commander, George H. Thomas.

In Confronting the Horror, James R. Giles examines the evolution of Algren’s major themes—external oppression and internal anxiety. He discusses Algren’s fiction in relation to Maxim Gorky’s explanation of the “lower depths” and the works of two contemporary writers, Hubert Selby, Jr., and John Rechy, who combine naturalistic technique with a largely existential, absurdist vision. Giles conclusion is forcefully argued, that Algren’s novels are thematically richer and more complex than hitherto regarded and represent the work of an American writer of the first order.

The history of African American entrepreneurship has produced a number of studies of economic development on the national level, but very few have examined this growth at the local level. Confronting the Odds was written to bridge that gap, and Bessie House-Soremekun provides this historical analysis of African American entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio, from the early 1800s to the present. Additionally, in examining these historical and current trends, House-Soremekun presents brief biographies of several successful entrepreneurs, among them George C. Fraser, best-selling author; Robert P. Madison, internationally acclaimed architect; Leroy Ozanne, founder of Ozanne Construction Company; and Rachel Y. Daniel, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Synergy International Limited, Inc. and Decision Point Marketing and Research, Inc.

Congress from the Inside has received high praise from the academic and political worlds for its intimate look at Washington politics. Ideal for both classroom and armchair reading, Brown’s book depicts the inner workings and deal-makings of Congress. He walks the reader through the crafting of legislation and tours the offices and meeting rooms where so much of the work of the legislature is done, introducing us to the names and faces of power. With incisive candor, Brown exposes the strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, diversity and elitism of the U. S. Congress.

Charles P. Hamblen’s posthumous text provides the first account in more than 25 years of soldiers from the Nutmeg State and their role during the Battle of Gettysburg. Supplemented with numerous photographs of the participants, many of which have never before been published, and detailed maps pinpointing the position of Connecticut’s five regiments during the battle, Connecticut Yankees at Gettysburg offers an original retelling of the greatest battle of the Civil War.

Connie Mack: Grand Old Man of Baseball is filled with intimate glimpses of Mack and of the players he managed over the years. Mack and his teams always gave Athletics fans a great show—and readers can relive the excitement in this facsimile reprint of Frederick G. Lieb’s classic biography.

Conrad Wise Chapman (1842-1910) is unique among Civil War artists: he painted and sketched while on duty as a Confederate soldier who served in three theaters of the war. Chapman’s first-hand knowledge is evident in his work. Ben Bassham has written both a critical study of Chapman’s art and a biography, incorporating Chapman’s correspondence and Civil War memoirs.

Continuous innovation and experimentation with the materials used in constructing textiles, apparel, and accessories creates an ever-growing challenge for professional curators and collectors. Recognizing problematic fibers, dyes, finishes, and fabric and yarn constructions is crucial for maintaining objects’ appearance, minimizing deterioration, and isolating those that are potentially harmful to other objects.