New Book on C&O Canal During the Civil War is Now Available from Blue Mustang Pr ess Maryland

resident Timothy R. Snyder has penned Trembling in the Balance: The Che sapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War and brings to light the perilous "li fe" of the canal during the upheaval of the American Civil War for which it mark ed the border between North and South. Boston, MA, Tuesday - September 13, 2011 -- Blue Mustang Press ( http://www.Blue MustangPress.com ) is proud to publish Timothy R. Snyder s new book Trembling in the Balance: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War. Snyder s lavishly illu strated book tells the story of a canal company's struggle to operate a signific ant business enterprise in one of the nation's major theaters of war: the actual border between the Union and the Confederacy. Since the C&O Canal company was located on Maryland's southern border with Virgi nia, it experienced much of the war firsthand. Due to the proximity of the canal to so many conflicts, large and small, the book includes a great deal of milita ry history in great detail. The canal played a role in major battles, like Antie tam and Gettysburg, and in smaller conflicts, such as Ball's Bluff and Stonewall Jackson's raids on Dam Number 5 (the dam was owned by the canal company). Snyder s work is a fascinating account of this transportation artery during a time o f great military upheaval. Research for the book was conducted using primary sou rces, including the diaries and letters of soldiers, politicians and local resid ents; canal company records; and period newspapers. For Snyder, born and raised in Williamsport, Maryland-the traditional mid-point of the Canal-this book is the culmination of over ten years of research and writ ing that began as the author's M.A. thesis. Snyder notes that while there have b een books and articles written on the railroads during the Civil War, until now very little has been written about the role played by canals. The Canal helped s ustain the Union war effort, much like its old rival, the Baltimore and Ohio Rai lroad, although its contributions have largely been overlooked by historians unt il now. Ted Alexander, Chief Historian at Antietam National Battlefield, has said of Tre mbling in the Balance: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal During the Civil War, "The C&O Canal was a major artery for shipping coal to the east during the Civil War era. This made it a target of every major Confederate incursion north of the Pot omac and of numerous smaller guerilla raids. Tim Snyder's Trembling in the Balan ce: The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal during the Civil War is the definitive work on the subject by its leading authority. This book should be required reading for all students of the Civil War in the Eastern Theater." The book is available through retail book outlets, NPS bookstores along the Cana l, and through the publisher s website at: http://www.BlueMustangPress.com. ISBN: 978-1935199120 364 pages Retail Price: $22.95 Available to the trade from major book distributors Press & Media Contact: Karen Savageau Blue Mustang Press LLP PO Box 582 Mansfield, MA 02048 - USA info@BlueMustangPress.com http://www.BlueMustangPress.com