The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War - The Soldiers, Generals, Weapons, and Battles of the Civil War (Hardcover, annotated edition)

On April 12, 1861, the roar of mortar shattered the peaceful early morning hours at Fort Sumter. North and South had come to war. Until 1865, this divisive cataclysm raged across America, touching all citizens' lives. As the most studied conflict in U.S. history, the Civil War still powerfully grasps our imaginations, even 140 years later.

Long one of the best-selling pictorial books on this conflict, "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War" has been extensively expanded, with a host of new and fascinating material. Many rare contemporary images are included, allowing readers to view the war through the eyes of painters, lithographers, and photographers. Its user-friendly format contains four parts: Soldiers, describing how the ordinary soldier coped in battle; Generals, containing insightful personality and career profiles of the most significant commanders (including Lee, Grant, Jackson, and Sherman); Weapons, with annotated illustrations and clear color photographs of Rebel and Yankee equipment and uniforms; and Battles, covering the four long and wrenching years that saw 10,000 military engagements ranging from brief skirmishes to full-scale sieges. Add a narrative that is an inspiring and stirring record of a momentous period in American history and you have the definitive volume that will appeal to armchair enthusiasts, memorabilia collectors, students, and Civil War battlefield and museum visitors.