Grumbling about Chicago style manual

[Eric Ladner]

I think I remember a discussion some years back, in which some participants (Kathleen, I think you were one) were not completely happy with the Chicago Manual of Style. It didn't mean much to me then, but now I am about to finish a UC Extension copyediting workshop based on Chicago 15, and we've reached notes and bibliographies; this is driving me nuts.

Generally I enjoy picking grammar and punctuation nits (I know, that's just begging for a major error to show up in this message), but I can't see the point of no punctuation after the title and parentheses around the publisher in the notes, but a period after the title and no parentheses around the publisher in the bibliography. Why not be consistent--and simpler?

On a completely different part of the book, what possible reason can there be for American Civil War, but Spanish civil war?

--Eric, going to see whether a glass of wine helps or hinders trying to do this exercise . . .