Long had I spent trying to improve my war re-enactment scenarios through authentic cooking, but this book was the first one that allowed me to truly follow my dreams. Other books i have found espousing "Civil War" cooking fail to take into account the true nature of the War Between States, and get lost in the actual cooking, rather than the history behind it. This book deals with both perfectly, interjecting delightful cooking recipes between descriptions of Lincoln's attempted bastardization of The South.The recipes listed in this book are perfect for any occasion, whether you're at a klan meeting, trying to impress that favorite cousin, or just lounging around, there exists the perfect recipe to both enjoy yourself and separate your cooking from the tasteless yanks.Despite all the pros, I can only give this book four stars, because it's simply taken over my life. War re-enactment went from a fun thing to do on the weekends to a every day event. I got fired from my job for "attempting to stab a customer with a bayonet unprovoked" and my family left me for what they called "blowing our savings on a replica cannon." This is who I am now. All I can do is cook.