Touch the Elbow Reviews "Lincoln's Labels" and Interviews the Author (Me!)

I want to thank Donald Thompson for posting a very kind (and very interesting!) review of my first book, Lincoln's Labels: America's Best Known Brands and the Civil War, on his popular "Touch the Elbow" blog this week.

Excerpts:

"What is less familiar are the efforts undertaken by privately owned companies to ramp up and quickly meet the needs of Union troops by providing...all that makes an army go. James Schmidt tells that story and tells it well, by focusing on select businesses that not only aided the war effort, added to their own profit margin, but still survive into the twenty-first century...

"I could go on and on, but why spoil the fun and surprises that come from reading a book that is not only interesting, but so chock full of well researched facts and subplots it'll have you begging for a sequel. It'll also have you wondering why no one thought to write this story before. I know I felt that way."

Donald followed up the review with an interview with questions that were insightful and fun! Read the 2-part interview here and here.

Thanks, Donald!

By the way, while you are at "Touch the Elbow," also take time to read his great interview with Tom McGrath, author of Shepherdstown: Last Clash of the Antietam Campaign.

Donald Thompson is also a co-author of Civil War Research Guide: A Guide for Researching Your Civil War Ancestor.