A Battlefield Atlas of the Civil War - Second Edition

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From Fort Sumter to Appomattox, <i>A Battlefield Atlas of the Civil War</i> offers a clear and concise overview of the Civil War. Ideal for battlefield tours, the 43 two-color, full page maps highlight the critical military positions and communicate the changing nature of the war. The description accompanying each map enables the reader to relive the action of battle and sense the drama it held for the troops that fought in the world's first total war. The author exploreres the personalities of the commanders on each side and explains the rationale behind the battlefield decisions. In addition, each narrative details the strength of each side, the losses suffered, and the strategic consequences of the battles. The maps are divided into four groups, each of which constitute a chapter in the history of the war: the <i>Amatuer War</i> saw civilian volunteer armies slug it out at Bull Run and Shiloh; the <i>Organized War</i> saw the emergence of managers of war like George B. McClellan (who could administer, but who was loath to fight) as well as the rise of Robert E. Lee; the period of <i>Confederate High Tide</i> in 1863 saw Southern hopes crest only to collapse again after Gettysburg and Vicksburg; and ultimately the era of <i>Total War</i> witnessed the complete metamorphosis of the war from its chivalric beginnings to it emergence as the world's first unlimited war under the leadership of Grant and Sherman. A short introductory essay precedes each section, accompanied by contemporary photographs and drawings that portray America's greatest military conflict.