Sometimes I forget how fortunate I am to live in a small town that lies between Cincinnati and Dayton. Being a hockey fan, I can follow four different teams (the Dayton Bombers, Miami Redhawks, Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and the Cincinnati Cyclones) at one time. I am far enough away from Columbus to follow the Buckeyes without hating them or bleeding scarlet and gray. With Cincinnati, I have a city that's big enough to support professional sports teams (although they suck), and with Dayton I get to visit two of my favorite locations: the Air Force Museum and Morningside Bookshop.

I won't talk about the demise of one of the best hobby shops in the region (the Tin Soldier), leaving me destitute for a good shop, and I won't bore you with the details of the Air Force Museum as I am sure many of you have been there. But I will tell you about a unique place I have been visiting for a few years now, the Morningside Bookshop.

I don't exactly remember how I became aware of Morningside. If my memory serves me correctly, it is was probably from an ad in "Blue & Gray" magazine. Many years ago, I gave the shop a call to see what the hours were and came to learn that Morningside is not your normal bookstore. You have to call ahead and make sure that you can come to the shop. You see, Morningside Bookshop is actually a mail order service that you can occasionally visit directly. Back in those days, you had to call so that they could put the Dobermans away! Nowadays you can call to make sure they are there, as the owners do travel quite a bit.

Okay, okay, I'll get to the point. Morningside is simply the finest American Civil War book shop around. If it is in print (and even sometimes when it is not), and it covers the Civil War, Morningside carries it. Ed and Mary Younger have been running Morningside for a number of years (my latest catalog is numbered 46) with an obvious passion for the Civil War. There are probably close to 1000 titles on the shelves -- maybe more. In addition, Morningside has been doing a bi-yearly magazine dedicated solely to the Gettysburg Campaign for almost 10 years now (The Gettysburg Magazine -- which is filled with detailed articles by some of the country's leading historians). Also they publish quite a few books on their own. You will find that Morningside has everything to offer the ACW buff.

You can contact Morningside Bookshop in a number of ways. Phone them at (937) 461-6736 or (800) 648-9710 (orders are taken from 8 am - 9 pm, seven days a week). Check out their web site at: http://www.morningsidebooks.com (the site lists all their books). Or you can write them at: PO Box 1087, Dayton, OH 45401. If you'd like to stop by their shop, their hours are 10 am - 4 pm, Monday through Friday, but I would call ahead to be sure. They are a few blocks north of the University of Dayton, going north on Brown Street at 260 Oak Street.

If you are an avid Civil War buff, or even it you have a passing interest, Morningside Bookshop is your "one-stop" ACW location. Oh, and don't worry. They no longer have the Dobermansl