Photographic History of the Civil War: Fort Sumter to Gettysburg: Shadows of the Storm/the Guns of '62/the Embattled Confederacy (Civil War Times I)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent compact photographic history of the Civil War
Review: As an earlier reviewer stated, the Civil War was the first major conflict extensively covered by photographers. This first volume, which actually covers the conflict from secession to the climax at Gettysburg contains some of the best photograpy culled from the files of Matthew Brady, Alexander Gardner, and others. While the photographs alone would be worth the price, it is the accompanying text, written in the main by William C. Davis (with James M. McPherson and Shelby Foote arguably our finest Civil War historians) and Bell Wiley which captures the reader by tieing together the imagery with the fact. A picture is worth a thousand words, and the pre-war photographs of a timid-looking James Buchanan or the lean, mean look of the fireeating James Lane of Kansas are no exceptions. Or the dead Confederates laying near "Burnside's Bridge" following Antietam, or the bouyant beau sabeur Wade Hampton on one page and a youthful George Custer with his dog Rose on the next in the segment describing the cavalry fight at Gettysburg.

This compact work is thick, it is true, but a lot easier to carry along than the oversized volume. The only drawback to this and the companion volume is the small print of the text and captions. But this volume and its companion are well worth a magnifying glass and should be part of any Civil War buffs home library.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing photographs
Review: Easily understood without confusing the subject or the reader. More than anything, as they say, every picture says a thousand words. This book almost needs no words as there are endless photographs each saying a thousand words of their own. I knew nothing of the cicil war. I now know much. A sad time but interesting subject.

Rating:
Summary: Quick but tiny book!
Review: This book is huge, though it's roughly 6 inches in length making for very small print. It covers just about every subject in the Civil War chronologically though it isn't very detailed. There is simply too much covered in order for it to be that way but this book does feature everything-just quick. I seldom refer back to this book for information as anyone who seriously studies the Civil War will have other or better books on the subject.