The "Civil War Librarian" Reviews "Lincoln's Labels"!

I want to thank Rea Andrew Redd, aka "The Civil War Librarian" for posting a kind review of my first book, Lincoln's Labels: America's Best Known Brands and the Civil War, on his blog today.

Excerpts:

"In this bicentennial year of Lincoln's birth readers are deluged with Lincoln books. James Schmidt has written one for the subscribers of Civil War Historian and Citizens' Companion magazines, who will enjoy and keep handy Lincoln's Labels as a ready reference...this overview which explores the brand names that during the Civil War supplied food, medicine, clothing, and weapons. Civil War era soldiers and civilians used Du Pont’s gunpowder, Brooks Brothers’ uniforms, Procter & Gamble’s soap and Borden’s condensed milk.

"[He] relates a variety of rarely told stories of inventions, marketing and quartermaster purchasing. Lincoln's Labels touches upon how each firm mirrors the war and how family and friendships were torn asunder, as well as how politicians and merchants conspired and crossed paths with Abraham Lincoln. Soldiers and civilians are also the focus of this book.

"CWL will keep his copy close by and also assign the library's copy to business majors who are in CWL's U.S. history survey class. Schmidt's narrative is also accessible to an advanced placement high school audience."

I am so happy - and humbled - at Rea's kind review. His assessment that the book can be interesting and useful to such diverse readers as high school students, business majors in college, and Civil War "living historians" is satisfying, indeed.

Thanks, Rea!

For more reviews of Lincoln's Labels, please see:

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Andrew Wagenhoffer - Civil War Books and Authors
Michael Aubrecht - Pinstripe Press
Reader Testimonial
Advance Praise/Blurbs