The fourth book in the Virginia at War series casts a special light on vital home front matters in Virginia during 1864. Following a year in which only one major battle was fought on Virginia soil, 1864 brought military campaigning to the Old Dominion. For the first time during the Civil War, the majority of Virginias forces fought inside the state's borders. Yet soldiers were a distinct minority among the Virginians affected by the war.

In Virginia at War, 1864, scholars explore various aspects of the civilian experience in Virginia including transportation and communication, wartime literature, politics and the press, higher education, patriotic celebrations, and early efforts at reconstruction in Union-occupied Virginia. The volume focuses on the effects of war on the civilian infrastructure as well as efforts to maintain the Confederacy. As in previous volumes, the book concludes with an edited and annotated excerpt of the Judith Brockenbrough McGuire diary.

William C. Davis, professor of history and director of programs at Virginia Tech's Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, is the author of numerous books.

James I. Robertson Jr. is Alumni Distinguished Professor of History at Virginia Tech, director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, and the author of several books.

Reviews:

"A worthy addition to a very fine series."-Emory M. Thomas, author of The Confederate Nation: 1861-1865

"Her diary entries close this enlightening examination of the effects of total war on a society."-Roanoke Public Library Foundation

"This book is not strictly an academic asset; it's an emotional look at the most gripping time in our nation's history." -Individual.com

"This book covers some interesting areas of lesser-known history of life in Virginia during the Civil War."-Curled Up.com

[The essays] connect common threads that reveal a state in turmoil, simultaneously undergoing important social changes that would extend far beyond the war. . . . challenge the privileged position of battle accounts, suggesting that am much more complicated and seminal experience took place."-LSU Libraries' Special Collections

"As in previous volumes in this series, editors William C. Davis and James I. Robertson, Jr. have brought together what is definitely an interesting group of essays."-Blue & Gray Magazine