Join us from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 7, for this month's author talk and book signing: Days of Destruction: Augustine Thomas Smythe and the Civil War Siege of Charleston by Eric Emerson and Karen Stokes. Through a collection of letters written by Augustine Thomas Smythe, a well-educated young man from a prominent Charleston family, we get a glimpse of the long, destructive assault on the Holy City during the Civil War. From behind a telescope in the midst of the War, he shares an almost post-apocalyptic perspective of the oftentimes quiet, and frequently lawless, street where he lived before and during the siege of Charleston.

Speaker @ the Center is FREE and open to the public; however, we ask that you register to ensure a seat. This program will be held at the South Carolina State Library, 1500 Senate Street, Columbia. Please visit our map & directions page or call (803) 734-8666 for parking information. For more information about Speaker @ the Center, please visit ReadSC.org. Books will be available for purchase and signing. For more information, please contact Andersen Cook, Statewide Initiatives Coordinator at (803)545-4432 or acook@statelibrary.sc.gov.