Perry, James M. Touched with fire; five presidents and the Civil War battles that made them.

PERRY, James M. Touched with fire; five presidents and the Civil War battles that made them. PublicAffairs. 335p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. c2003. 1-58648-290-4. $16.00. SA *

James M. Perry writes a riveting book. His prose is fluid, his humor gentle, and his quotations from the letters and journals of his subjects provide his text with a lively immediacy. How many of us knew that five US presidents had fought in the Civil War? Grant, of course, but also Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley. With expert journalistic skill, Perry follows the five through the war, tracing their military careers through conflicts both battle-centered and political. The author gives fewer details about Grant, whose army exploits are well known, but he follows the other four through their war years in careful detail. McKinley is the future president who comes through as the bravest and most admirable, Garfield the least likable. Harrison was a serious man who struggled to live up to the fame of his family name; Hayes was a highly respected officer.

Touched with Fire offers its readers two important benefits: the book traces the Union troop movements in the western theater through the experiences of five intense and interesting men and it presents to Americans insights into the lives and personalities of four little-known presidents. Patricia Moore, Brookline, MA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code help librarian and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.