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The great lengths America currently goes to in order to secure the homefront in the war against terror are nothing new. During the Civil War, battleground states such as Missouri had to cope with skirmishes between uniformed fighters, guerrilla-fighting irregulars and partisan civilians in both rural and urban areas. Men were beaten and hanged in the streets during these conflicts, and even voicing support for the "enemy"(either side) in the wrong part of St. Louis could get you jail time. Taking your shoes off at the airport is fairly minor in light of that, eh? James W. Erwin addresses these harsh realities of daily life in his book The Homefront in Civil War Missouri, which he discusses and signs tonight at 7 p.m at the University City Public Library (6701 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-3150 or www.ucitylibrary.org). Erwin's Guerrilla Hunters in Civil War Missouri and Guerrillas in Civil War Missouri will also be sold onsite by Subterranean Books. Admission is free.
Wed., Aug. 13, 7 p.m., 2014