California and the Civil War (Civil War Series)

A very solid and readable history of a narrow slice of history, combining California and the Civil War. California didn't play a big role in the Civil War, at least not in terms of number of men or influential battles. (Our gold supply was a much bigger factor!) But there are a bunch of interesting incidents, also a lot of strong feelings about the Civil War even in brand-new California. So the author has a lot of good stories to tell but one gets the sense he's told all of them, that this is a complete history of all the significant things.

I like the writing style, casual and easy to read. But it's not a shallow book, it is very well researched with some significant interpretation from the author. Just the style of history I like to read.