Great Maps Of The Civil War : Pivotal Battles and Campaigns Featuring 32 Removable Maps

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Summary: Maps Transport Us
Review: As schoolchildren we all gazed in wonder at the crude, fanciful and often highly distorted maps of other ages. The nuances and truth of a map are alas diminished by reproduction. Take note that all great libraries have map rooms, with elegant thin-drawered cabinets that hold the worldviews of the ages. And that is the genius of this volume. By providing the maps so they can be pulled out, laid on a table and pondered, traced, turned and measured, it is easy to be transported to a dimly lit tent on a soft Southern night. In the age of Mapquest and GPS handhelds, nothing is more real than a contemporaneous map. It is a record, a voice, and an accoutrement, as vital to understanding as any diary, written record or photograph.

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Summary: This Is A Must Book for the Civil War Enthusiast
Review: Great Maps of the Civil War is as stated, a museum in a book. If one already has Rod Gragg's poignant collection of Civil War letters, "From Fields of Fire and Glory", or the Civil War in a box collection that was a bestseller some years back, then this book is a must for your collection.

Mr. Miller has chosen some 32 wonderful and even some little-known maps, including the "Cram map" that was ill-used by McClellan in the Peninsula Campaign, the bloodstained map that Union General James McPherson was using when he was killed in action during the Atlanta campaign (one can clearly see the blood stains on this removeable map - starkly bringing the reality of the Civil War home). There is even a unique map illustrating the proposed Confederate defenses of Danville, Viriginia, the town that Jefferson Davis and the Confederate cabinet fled to on the eve of Appomattox. The plan to defend Danville as if it were the new Confederate capital came to an abrupt end as Lee met Grant at the McLean home.

This is as close as one can get to holding history in his or her hand without possessing the actual document or map. My only qualm is the $35 price - amazon offers it pretty reasonably - and the knowledge that many books like this one do end up on bargain tables in about a year at a 1/4 of the price. Having said that, though, this is probably the best new Civil War gift book one would be most happy to receive this holiday season.