U.S. CIVIL WAR BATTLE BY BATTLE

THIS ACCOUNT OF THE CONFLICT’S SIGNIFICANT ENGAGEMENTS IS ACCOMPANIED BY BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK

Author: Iain Macgregor Publisher: Osprey Publishing Price: £7.99 Released: 3 March

The American Civil War remains one of the bloodiest conflicts in US history. Between 1861 and 1865, 620,000 American soldiers and sailors are estimated to have lost their lives (more recent studies put the figure at around 750,000.) The number of major battles, smaller actions and minor skirmishes stands at 8,000, fought across much of North America and on the seas and waterways. Since the war ended there has been incredible interest in the subject, with many thousands of books published.

At the start of U.S. Civil War: Battle by Battle is a useful chronology of the conflict giving dates of the key battles and campaigns, ranging from the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 to the Battle of Palmito Ranch in May 1865. This is followed by 30 short chapters, each outlining a specific battle of the American Civil War in chronological order – these include both well-known as well as some lesser-known clashes. Each chapter is also illustrated with beautiful artwork depicting the engagement. In addition to this, other illustrations are included within the text, the captions for which offer snippets of useful extra information, ranging from battle flags and small arms to cannon and warships.

This book is a short but interesting read that is engagingly written and well-researched. Although it only scratches the surface of the conflict it still manages to give the reader a good introduction to its military history and should appeal to both the general reader and American Civil War enthusiast alike.

BELOW: The book is an excellent introduction to the war’s 30 most famous and significant battles

BELOW: EDMUND RUFFIN IS OFTEN CREDITED WITH FIRING THE FIRST SHOT OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, AT THE BATTLE OF FORT SUMTER (BELOW, RIGHT)