Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

Here are my favorite reads from the past week:

• A ‘Battlestar’ action plan: Spoiler-free is the way to be Maureen Ryan has seen the first episode of Battlestar Galactica’s new season. She says it “is a great hour of television.” She won’t say anything more. Yeah!
• Alan Sepinwall has seen the first episode of Battlestar Galactica. He says “it is brilliant, and it is devastating.” He won’t say anything more. Yeah!
• My body clock is trying to kill me at Quit Your Day Job. It’s comforting to think that someone else also has to struggle with this. I am not alone! I’ll have a full reaction on Monday.

Tags: Recommendations by Ms. SP
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This post is a stand-alone post, but it is also #3 to Monday’s Holiday Gift Ideas for the Established Civil War Buff.

Nashville is a great destination for anyone interested in the American Civil War. The Virginian battlefields get all the glory, but the war in the western theater was just as compelling. Many argue that the North won the war because the North won the west. (They had a heck of a time defeating Lee in the east.)

Nashville is a great jumping off point for many points of Civil War interest in Tennessee. Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Stones River (Murfreesboro), Franklin, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga are all within a few hours’ drive. Of course there are also plenty of sites within Nashville itself.

(Ask about the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust of honor in the Capitol Building. It makes the guides nervous.)

One of the great things about establishing a central headquarters in Nashville is that you don’t have to keep packing and unpacking every day. For those in your family or group who are not enamored with this period of history, there are plenty of other places to explore. Also, I didn’t find Nashville to be that expensive for travelers. For me, the cost-convenience scale was definitely in my favor.

A Civil War buff is definitely going to enjoy visiting these sites. The topography of Tennessee helps make the events of these battles understandable. Highlights include:

• the river locations of Forts Henry and Donelson
• the railway at Stones River
• the bullet strewn houses from the urban fighting of Franklin
• the almost insignificant swell on which Thomas and his men made their stand at Chickamauga
• the little central hill on which Grant stood and watched his men go up and over the Chattanooga mountains

Even if you don’t understand all these references, your friendly neighborhood Civil War geek will. And he/she is going to want to see them all.

Tags: Recommendations, Travel by Ms. SP
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Wow, where has the time gone? I swear I just posted my Holiday Gift Ideas for the Beginning Civil War Buff last week. Instead, it was a full two weeks ago. Here’s the follow-up.

1. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz. The author goes on an extended journey to see what the Civil War, or rather, the War Between the States, means today to the modern South. Along the way, he meets historians, heritage groups, and some hardcore reenactors. It’s a fast, easy read that reminds us of what this conflict did to our country and how the ramifications are still going strong.

If you’re interested in learning more, I did write up a review for the book earlier this year.

2. Sid Meier’s Civil War Collection. I love these computer games. Before buying this though, you’ll have to consider the computer specs of the eventual player. These are older games, but if you can make it work, they are great fun—if getting your guys killed is fun.

The realistic and variable elements built into these games really make them playable. Veteran troops fight better than greenhorns. If you march your guys through a forest grove, you better have planned for the extra time it will take them to get through this terrain.

Hills and trees provide a defensive advantage. Your flanks are extra vulnerable. And to top it all off, the play doesn’t stop. These are not turn-based games. If you’re too busy paying attention to your right, you may be losing horribly on the left.

Can you keep track of everything that is happening? Which section of your line needs reinforcing? When is the best time to charge? What will you do when new troops arrive for the other side?

I always find myself talking to the games as I play. I implore the boys to hold for just a little while longer. Reinforcements are coming around the hill. I cheer as my advance pushes them off their line. I apologize when my bone-headed decision causes the decimation of a unit.

They are really interesting games for all those arm chair battle strategists out there. The non-stop action and the difficulty of controlling the men simulates “the fog of war” much better than the chess-piece type games.

3. A trip to Nashville. If you’d like to know why, please read my next post.

Tags: Recommendations by Ms. SP
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