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Rating: 
Summary: Easy to read history
Review: Although the title implies that this might be a collection of short stories, it is more a series of chapters describing historical events. Written in a journalistic style that would hold your interest in a magazine, this book is not fiction but history that is slightly colored by the author's opinions. (Perhaps the word "tales" is used to avoid an obligation to be totally objective.) Still, the chapters are short and entertaining. You can finish a chapter and come back to the book a month later if you want because the chapters are independent of each other.You will meet a wide range of characters in this book, from Harriet Beecher Stowe to Jubal Early and Abe Lincoln. Political background is covered without sounding dry, and some of the incidental stories (such as the background of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") are quite fascinating. Garrison ends the book with some criticism of Abe Lincoln, who he felt prolonged the war. Notes about the author state that he lives in North Carolina. My copy was published in 1990.
Rating: 
Summary: this could have been at least 4 stars
Review: I have read about 4 of Webb Garison's Civil War books and though all have been god except for Friendly Fire they are all basically the same. This is a good book and yes it might have 1 or 2 stories the other books didn't but you can only read the same story in the same format som many times and Garrison repackaged these stories to death. He is a good author though and I do recomend reading most of his books but be warned that they are very similar
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