BOOK NAME: 1862: Fredericksburg: A New Look at a Bitter Civil War Battle
AUTHOR: K.M. Kostyal
PHOTOGRAPHER: Lori Epstein

When I first read the title of this book, I knew that the Battle of Fredericksburg was just that, only one battle, so I wondered how it was possible to fill an entire book with information about it. But as I started reading, I realized that this book just isn’t about one battle, but is much more.

The book explains everything from the culture of the town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, to why they even fought the Civil War, and it ends with the description of the battle and how the town was eventually rebuilt. It also explains many of the battles leading up to the Battle of Fredericksburg, such as the Battle of Bull Run and Gettysburg. It even provides parts of real journals written by people who were in the war, including a Union soldier and an enslaved Virginian named John Washington. My favorite journal entry is the one written by Washington that describes the moment he was freed from slavery.

To be honest, the journals were my favorite part of this book because I got to hear the voices of real people who lived the war. I also really liked all the detailed color photos throughout the book.

You don’t have to be a historian or a fan of social studies to enjoy this book.