A contemporary book about significant events in U.S. history can be a challenge to present to a mass audience. Every reader will have a different base of knowledge about the time period before they begin reading. The author was thorough in a way that should inform any reader without the expectation they already have a particular level of knowledge of the subject matter. You do not need to be a history scholar to enjoy City of Sedition. You only need to have an interest in New York City during the Civil War. City of Sedition awoke many history lessons that have been dormant in my memory for years.

The nineteenth century New York City in John Strausbaugh's book is in many ways similar to the NYC we think of today. It is ethnically diverse and it houses the financial capital of the country. It is home to many millionaire tycoons, and was home to a major port in the country at a time when cotton was one of the country's biggest exports.

Therein lies the NY problem with the Civil War. Many New Yorkers had a vested interest in the profitability of cotton fields in the south. At the other extreme, many New Yorkers dealing with poverty and unemployment were frightened by the perceived threat of newly emancipated slaves suddenly entering the workforce. New York had a very complicated relationship with the south, and especially with President Lincoln.

The book is divided into three parts: Before, During, and After the Civil War. The "Before" chapters are where many historical figures are introduced. There are many brief introductions of historical figures that will provide context as they are mentioned later in the book, some names you'll immediately recognize and some may be new to you. This section became tedious for me. There were names that I recognized and that maintained my interest more easily than reading so many introductions of names and backgrounds for pols in the Tammany Hall machine, or journalists, or buglers, or cousins of Herman Melville. I considered keeping a spreadsheet at one point, but I wasn't sure I'd ever finish with such bookkeeping involved. I decided not to take remembering the cast of characters so seriously and just let myself enjoy the book without being too hard on myself if I lost track of the names. I recommend other readers do the same and just consult the index if you reach a point of distraction. The action picks up in Section Two, which begins with Lincoln's inauguration and war! war!! war!!!

I enjoyed Part two, as it was more of what I expected to read and I am happy to say that I enjoyed it as much as I hoped I would. At times it was humbling to learn things that I should really know already, as an educated American citizen living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area where many streets and buildings are named after some of the historical figures in this book. It took me a little longer than expected to finish, not because it's super heavy reading, but because I wanted to take my time and truly understand the situation in the country at that time. I am very glad I did and I am very happy that I read it. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.