After attending a reenactment event and seeing a huge selection of books on the Civil War, only one of which focused on women's roles, I've been working to identify the best books on women and the Civil War. You'll find here an interesting mix of books from and about the era. Readers new to the topic of women and the Civil War will want to start with some of the overview books below.
1. Tara Revisted
by Catherine Clinton. One of the best scholars of women's history takes on the myths of Southern women during the Civil War. She covers the experiences of women -- white and black, wealthy and ordinary -- in the South before, during and after the war, debunking many common misconceptions. She also covers the post-Civil War story about the creation of the "plantation legend."
2. With Courage and Delicacy: Civil War on the Peninsula
by Nancy Scripture Garrison. Women working as nurses and administrators in the Sanitary Commission found themselves functioning in roles unlike those they'd been allowed in peacetime. This book, which focuses on the Virginia experience of some of these volunteers, begins with the creation of the Sanitary Commission. Find a different perspective than many books on the Civil War and women.3. A Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Civil War
by Stephen B. Oates. Popular historian Oates turns his efforts to Clara Barton, one of the most familiar names of Union women in the Civil War. He pulls no punches in analyzing not only her daring and assertiveness in getting a job done that needed doing, but also her prickly personality and the difficulties she had sharing leadership.4. All the Daring of the Soldier: Women of the Civil War Armies
by Elizabeth D. Leonard. Focusing on women who actually fought in the Civil War -- disguised as men or not -- this book brings many stories of individual service alive. The women had many reasons for fighting: some wanted to accompany husbands or boyfriends into the field, others fought out of concern for the Confederate or Union cause. Also includes the stories of spies, nurses and laundresses.5. Amazing Women of the Civil War
by Webb B. Garrison. A good overview book on women and the Civil War, it covers women in their many roles, including nurses, soldiers, journalists and spies. Major figures like Harriet Tubman, Belle Boyd, Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony are included. There's not a lot of depth on any particular topic, but it's a good survey of the huge number of women important to the Civil War.6. Hospital Sketches
by Louisa May Alcott. Better known for "Little Women," a story of a family at home during and just after the Civil War, in this recently-reissued book, Alcott vividly describes her life as a volunteer nurse and the people she met. She suffered life-long ill effects from the mercury-based treatment for typhod. This book, completed during her recovery, helped bring her writing to public attention.7. Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South ...
by Drew Gilpin Faust. Faust highlights the way that the Civil War challenged women of the South. Women had to perform tasks and assume responsibilities that were not only non-traditional for women, but difficult for anyone. Then, many of these same women helped to reestablish the old power relationships between women and men when the war was over.8. Kate: the Journal of a Confederate Nurse
by Kate Cumming, edited by Richard Barksdale Harwell. A first person account of life in Confederate hospitals during the war as well as reflections on civilian life in the South. Helpful for understanding what the war years were like for women in the South.9. Women of the War: Their Heroism and Self-Sacrifice: True Stories...
by Frank Moore. Written soon after the Civil War, and deliberately excluding women who disguised themselves as men, this book contains some nearly-contemporary stories of women who served in many different roles. Part of the importance of this book is also its perspective: what an immediate post-Civil War audience made of women's service and sacrifice.10. Gone With the Wind: ... the Book, the Movie and the Legend
by Herb Bridges and Terryl C. Boodman. For many people, the movie Gone With the Wind has shaped their images of the Civil War. Gone With the Wind lovers will love the illustrations, star biographies and behind-the-scenes information. (Just please, don't use this as a resource for a Civil War history research paper or for preparing your Civil War era reenactment!)