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Summary: Indispensible guide to military history.
Review: I simply cannot think of a better book to keep at hand when studying the Civil War. Books that treat individual battles often are deficient in maps and seldom can give the sweep of a campaign. This book allows you to quickly review an entire battle and the campaign that preceeded, and followed, it in a clear and easily digested format. It then becomes much easier to understand the descriptions in those other books. By the way, Vol. 2 is out and covers World War I and is just as good. However the large size of the battles limits coverage somewhat.
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Summary: Worthwhile Home Library Addition
Review: Map draftsmanship is outstanding. The time sequences are helpful in understanding battle developments. I use the civil war maps to chart movements of my ancestors units and this work has proved invaluble. Coupled with regimental histories, contemporary photographs, and official records, the atlas helps provide the detail in piecing together events that affected the lives of many americans. I felt disappointed at the scarity of material on the Indian Wars, exploration, expeditions and frontier security which played a significant role in developing the officer corps and unit traditions. Concise maps and clear descriptions of Revolutionary War battles and movements help sort out complicated troop movements and the underlying geography of both battlefield and region. Overall, I recommend this work to the amateur historian and serious student of american military history. It belongs in my library.
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Summary: Interesting maps with text to be used very carefully
Review: The atlas has good maps for much, but not all, of its intended purpose. But the REAL drawback is the text. Many mistakes penned by John Elting---especially serious ones concerning various Civil War aspects---plague the text. In the end, it is an OK book for reference, but Elting's mistakes are too numerous to qualify it as The Bible.
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Summary: Military History as it should be Written
Review: This Atlas is indispensable for the study of American militiary history. Written as a two volume text for the cadets of the Us Military Academy at West Point in the late 1950s, it has never gone out of date, and was prepared by some of the best scholars in uniform at the time, including Col John Elting. Having used the Atlas at the Academy as a cadet, I can vouch for both its accuracy, the quality of the maps, and its relevance in the study of American military operations. The maps are superb, and the text clear and concise. Simple, straightforward, and to the point, it maps out in much clarity the early days of American military operations while still a colony, the Revolution, War of 1812, the Mexican War, Civil War, and the Spanish American War. I have used these volumes for over thirty years and the reference is invaluable and a great help in understanding the sweep of the campaigns of the Civil War, as well as the intricacies of the operations of the Mexican and Revolutionary Wars. This Atlas definitely belongs in the collection of every student of this fascinating subject.
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Summary: Interesting maps with text to be used very carefully
Review: This book is as good as it gets for pictorial guides on War. However, it's not on West Point (for that, I loved Norman Thomas Remick's book, "West Point"). But, if you're searching for a study guide or reference book, stop here. Your search is ended. Vincent Esposito of the USMA Dept. of Military Art and Engineering did a terrific job!
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Summary: Good For Its Intended Purpose, But Not For Mine
Review: This is more like a textbook on war. It's well done. And, I'm sure it is good for its intended purpose, but not for mine. I therefore made a mistake getting it. Just wanted you to know.
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