A new and essential reference book: "Confederate Colonels"

My copy isn't in yet, but, judging from Bruce Allardice's past work, his new book Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register (Univ. of Missouri Press, 2008) will prove to be a significant contribution to the literature and a must for collectors and researchers.

From the publisher's promotional comments, the book covers "...the 1,583 men who achieved the rank of full colonel by the end of their careers—including both staff and line officers and members of all armies." Also, each entry "...includes such data as date and place of birth, education, prewar occupation and military experience, service record, instances of being wounded or captured, postwar life and death, and available writings on the officer or manuscript collections of his papers."