Michael Halleran

Better Angels is now online at the University of Alabama Press with additional advanced reviews:

“Given the freshness of the topic, the good research, and the effective presentation, I strongly recommend this book. It covers a significant but un-studied aspect of the war.”—Earl J. Hess, author of The Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat: Reality and Myth and In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications and Confederate Defeat

“Halleran explains as much about Freemasonry as is possible without violating his oath or the dignity of the lodge. The author has made every effort NOT to claim Masonic influence (or interference) unless such is supported by multiple sources. His ‘detective work’ and analysis of sources is impressive.”—Archie P. McDonald, editor of Make Me a Map of the Valley: The Civil War Journal of Jedediah Hotchkiss, Stonewall Jackson’s Topographer

The book is now in the final stages of production and advanced reviews are in:

“Tales of Masonic brothers helping each other, even across battle lines, have long been part of Civil War lore. Michael Halleran’s wonderful study reveals the history behind these mythical stories. He discovers a surprising number of these accounts, subjects them to careful analysis, and shows how much Masonic fraternity made a difference in the experiences of Civil War soldiers.”
– Steven C. Bullock, Ph.D., Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

“Michael Halleran has set a new, high standard for scholarship on Freemasonry in the Civil War. His stories are compelling, the research is impeccable, and his analysis gives fresh insights on the “mystic tie” of the fraternity.”
– S. Brent Morris, Ph.D., 33° Managing Editor, The Scottish Rite Journal.

“ The Better Angels of Our Nature accomplishes what few books about Freemasons are able to do: it explores the legends and long-told tall tales of the fraternity in an academic fashion, with both dispassionate analysis of the facts, and an obvious passion for the subject. Personal accounts from the Civil War have the effect of personalizing the experience, instead of being able to hold it at a polite distance, perhaps because it was the first war that had, not just commanders, but so many enlisted men educated enough to write letters and diaries. Along the way, Michael shatters several longstanding and cherished Masonic fables, but he reinforces and illuminates far more than he buries. The result is a strong affirmation of the bond between warring Masonic brethren, in the war that brought more of them together on opposing sides than any in our history.”
– Christopher L. Hodapp, Editor, The Journal of the Masonic Society.