The Civil War in Depth, Volume II

Rating:
Summary: History in 3-D
Review: "Civil War in Depth" is a fascinating piece of work. The stereoscopic photographs literally jump off the page when viewed properly with the enclosed 3-D viewer. Many of these views were previously published using only one side. Thus the true look and clarity of detail was lost, but within these pages the pictures come back to life!

In speaking with Mr. Zeller at Chambersfest 99' in Chambersburg, PA, I found many of these views were never seen until most recently; with several more unseen views recently surfacing after publication. If the opportunity ever presents itself, by all means, see his slide presentation based upon his research.

Many thanks to Bob Zeller for the excellent work and detail that went into this publication and I hope to see more newly discovered views in a possible up and coming book.

I highly recommend this book to fellow Historians and Civil War buffs. It's a must for your collection!

Rating:
Summary: Stereophotography of the Civil War
Review: "Civil War in Depth" is a fascinating piece of work. The stereoscopic photographs literally jump off the page when viewed properly with the enclosed 3-D viewer. Many of these views were previously published using only one side. Thus the true look and clarity of detail was lost, but within these pages the pictures come back to life!

In speaking with Mr. Zeller at Chambersfest 99' in Chambersburg, PA, I found many of these views were never seen until most recently; with several more unseen views recently surfacing after publication. If the opportunity ever presents itself, by all means, see his slide presentation based upon his research.

Many thanks to Bob Zeller for the excellent work and detail that went into this publication and I hope to see more newly discovered views in a possible up and coming book.

I highly recommend this book to fellow Historians and Civil War buffs. It's a must for your collection!

Rating:
Summary: A small peak through a time machine
Review: "The Civil War in Depth, Volume II" is Bob Zeller's followup to his first book of Civil War stereo photographs, published three years ago. As he explains in the foreward, Zeller had not intended to do a sequel, even though there had been some outstanding stereo views he had not been able to include in the first volume. Less than two years ago, however, he was granted access to a phenomenal collection of Civil War stereo photos compiled by Robin Stanford, an amateur historian (and that is "amateur" in all the best senses). Photos from Ms. Stanford's collection provide nearly half the images in the present volume.

In this book we see in three-dimensions battlefields and campgrounds, generals and private soldiers, the living and the dead, great cities and slave plantations. Viewing these images is like being granted a small peak through a time machine. They give an unmatched immediacy to the Civil War and the people who lived through it -- or died in its battles. The photographs of the dead (some familiar from their usual "mono" reproductions) are especially powerful, the reality of battlefield death driven home when you for the first time see the soldiers' bodies seemingly at your feet.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: I'm thrilled that Mr. Zeller put together a book on such a vital and interesting subject, but I find it very difficult to use the plastic stereoscope with the stereoscopic pictures. The viewer is a little too flimsy, and the the book is hardbound, so is hard to keep open when viewing the photographs. Could this be redone with a spiral binding and a viewer that's a little sturdier? I managed to see two photograph pairings in 3-D, and it was delightful, but the rest eluded me.

Rating:
Summary: OK. I really like the 3-D effect!
Review: I've got The Civil War In Depth and The Civil War Collection, so I've got my Bob Zeller itch sated. I enjoyed the stereoscopic photos in both I and II, but you know what? Once the novelty of viewing Civil War photos in stereo wears off, you're left with two books that are more or less devoted to one little niche of Civil War historiana and a hand full of images to view. For a pretty hefty price tag, too.

I'm not into collecting Civil War stereophotographs. I like looking at them and am mildly interested in viewing the photos for their own merits as windows onto the greatest struggle the US has ever been through. But I don't have the passion for collecting them, and I'm not really interested in Civil War photographers; I've always been thrilled by the image of Pickett's charge, or of the assault on the stone wall at the base or Marie's Heights. I wish The Civil War In Depth II had more photos, more depth, and less focus on photography and photographers. I cruised throught he book and thought, "That's it?"

Rating:
Summary: A great history of stereoscopic photography
Review: This book is a fantastic resource for those interested in the history of stereo photography during the Civil War. The author focuses more on the stereo aspects of the war than on the war itself which is good because unlike the war in general, there is little written about stereo photography during this time. Many of the stereo images presented are very rare and some have never been published before this printing. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in stereo photography or lesser known aspects of this time period but those looking for another general book on the civil war may not find what they are looking for in this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Civil War in Depth: History in 3-D
Review: Wow! I stumbled upon this book several years ago and knew immediately that it was a keeper. The information is fascinating, and the photographs are simply amazing and extremely easy to view once you learn the basics of the viewer. I have had no problems viewing these pictures, but friends and family members who have had problems viewing 3-D (Magic Eye) pictures have experienced difficulties in seeing the full effect of these photos. If you can 'see' the Magic Eye pictures then you should have no trouble with this book. I highly recommend The Civil War in Depth to anyone interested in the Civil War or our nation's history in general.