A Pictorial History of the Civil War Years

by Paul M. Angle

The war that has been called "The American Iliad" is splendidly presented here in a rare gallery of over 350 pictures, many never before published, gathered from sources North and South. A compact and masterly history of the war, year by year, written by Civil War authority Paul M. Angle, accompanies the collection of photographs, combat artists' sketches and other contemporary illustrations. Many of the photos are enhanced by reproduction in duotone.
Important figures, political and military-- Grant, Lee, Lincoln, Dred Scott, Roger Taney, STonewall Jackson, 18-year-old Rebel spy Belle Boyd-- appear in authentic portraits. So do humbler figures-- a mess boy filling canteens, liberated slaves flocking to the Union army, a sutler with his wagon full of small luxeries, on which he had to keep a close watch.
The reality of war leaps out of photos of "the grim harvest of Fredericksburg," Burnside's Mud March, the caves at Vicksburg, Lee's army crossing the Potomac, Union and Confederate dead at Gettysburg, an Indiana surgeon caring for Confederate wounded at Antietam, the wounded of the Wilderness being rescued from the burning woods.
A less grim face of the war appears in pictures of Thanksgiving dinner at the front, the original balloon air reconnaissance, the welcome news vendors in camp, Pennsylvanica troops voting in the field, Confederate camp entertainment, a cockfight before Petersburg.
The naval side of the conflict is depicted in Farragut's flagship, the Hartford, going into action at Mobile Bay; the Confederate torpedo boat David; the even more remarkable Confederate submarine Hunley, first sub to sink an enemy ship; the British-built blockade-runner Bat, the Monitor, and many others.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction, American History, War, United States

242 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Victor Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this in my college library for a quick look and afterward went through a quick reading. Short but sweet.

The American Civil War was 4 plus years of politics and conflict spread out with a good number of pictures to see from the men who set the war in motion before it to the soldiers who fought it. From the major campaigns in Northern Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and so forth. The great generals from Jackson, Lee, Grant, Sherman, etc. So much had happened but it is covered briefly but respectably from the first fight at Fort Sumter to Abraham Lincoln's death.

This was a good read, a good start for people who want to study the Civil War before reading anything more substantial.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get around to this one—about 54 years, near as I can tell. It’s been going from one closet to another, one state to another, since I was a kid. I can’t remember exactly why or how I got it. It doesn’t seem like the kind of book my parents would have given me. My best guess is that I ordered it from one of those book order forms we used to bring home from school. It came to mind recently because I’ve taken up reading history in my retirement, so I excavated it from the basement and dusted it off.

As the title suggests, it’s got lots of pictures, and that’s probably what attracted me to it as a kid. But it’s also got plenty of text covering all the major events of the war in sturdy, economical prose. Stripped of the pictures, it would be about the length of a novella. It wouldn’t make you an expert on its subject, but it’s a solid introduction.

Going into it, I wondered how well it had aged (historically, that is, not physically—physically it’s pretty yellow and brittle). Not too badly, in my opinion. If it were written today, it would probably focus more on the evils of slavery, the slaveholding pasts of Confederate leaders and generals, and the contributions of the freedmen to the war effort. But I didn’t detect any of the southern Lost Cause mythology that infected Civil War history until about mid century, except maybe for too-frequent references to how bravely the confederate soldiers fought.

With those caveats, I would recommend it—but good luck finding it. I’m pretty impressed that Goodreads has it in their system. Their picture of it is exactly what mine looks like.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging, visually driven history of the American Civil War. Highly recommended as a primer on the war for those getting into the subject for the first time, it's not as heavy as works by Foote, Catton, or McPherson, but detailed enough for the reader to gain vast insight into the fundamental aspects of the conflict, such as the important figures, battles, and places. What sets Angle’s work apart, especially for a 1967 publication, is its enduring relevance. Unlike many recent Civil War histories that push a denser analysis or niche perspectives, I would say that this book balances a narrative clarity with visual storytelling that really makes for engaging reading.

[William Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good recap of the war, covering all of the major campaigns and battles of the war, as well as talking about most of the generals. The pictures are very nice, many not digitized. It does have a Southern leaning, but not lost cause bad by any mean. Would recommend to people who like the Civil War.

[robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice pictorial history (both photos and drawings) of the Civil War with mini write-ups about certain battles and events during the war. A nice reference book to my military history library.

[Jonathan Jerden · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half is excellent writing. The 300+ pics throughout are also excellent. Learned a good deal, even though I have read some 10,000 pages to date on the Civil War.

The 2nd half is marred a bit by the author who analyses people and events wrongly, with a good bit of bias in favor of the CSA as victim, praising throughout Lee & Nathan Bedford Forrest, while overly critical of Lincoln, Grant & especially Sherman. Read the second half with a focus on the pics, with a grain of salt on the commentary.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all the pictures, very intrigued by the whole story. (Was excited to learn new tidbits about one of my favorite eras.) Highly recommended!

[Andy]

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[Sean Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book lives up to its title. Lots and lots of great pictures from the Civil War era. Many never before seen pictures of Lee and Grant.

[Blaine Welgraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is crisp; the images are haunting. You'll remember both.