War memorials are symbols of a community's sense of itself, the values it holds dear, and its collective memory. They inform us more, perhaps, about the period in which the memorials were erected than the period of the war itself.
Kelly McMichael, in her book, "Sacred Memories: ""The"" Civil War Monument Movement in Texas," takes the reader on a tour of Civil War monuments throughout the state and in doing so tells the story of each monument and its creation. McMichael explores Texans' motivations for erecting Civil War memorials, which she views as attempts during a period of turmoil and...