The Blue and the Gray

by Thomas B. Allen, Sam Abell

"The American Civil War -- April to April, Sumter to Appomattox, 1861 to 1865 -- pervades the national conscience....It makes a great story...," writes Shelby Foote in his foreword to this volume. "I know of none since the "Iliad" that rivals it either in drama or in pathos...." "The Blue and The Gray" tells that story, the epic of the first great modern conflict. In so doing, it raises issues still of urgent concern in many lands today: What unifies a diverse nation? What justifies the formation of a new one? What sustains democracy and law in the range of the guns? What peace can follow the loss of 600,000 lives?

Six chapters cover the conflict chronologically. Key characters in the saga are examined in biographical sketches throughout the volume, and a picture-and-text portfolio on a major social or technological theme accompanies each chapter. The book features color illustrations by National Geographic photographer Sam Abell and text by Thomas B. Allen, formerly a Society staff editor and a specialist in military studies. A judicious selection of historical photographs, specially commissioned new maps, and maps from the Civil War era enrich the pages.

While tracing the drama of the battlefield, "The Blue and The Gray" lets the reader meet individuals of the 1860s -- on both sides of the front lines. Their own words, eloquent or earthy, funny or pitiful or noble, express the ideals they lived by and died for as family members fought one another and the war toll became the highest in American history.

With accompanying guidebook and map supplement, this volume is designed to show and explain why, in Robert Penn Warren's words, "The Civil War is, for the Americanimagination, the great single event in our history," and why, in the opinion of Abraham Lincoln, it would affect "hope to the world for all future time."

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

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Thomas B. Allen's writings range from articles for National Geographic Magazine to books on espionage and military history.
He is the father of Roger MacBride Allen.

Reviews

[Daniel A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blue & the Gray by National Geographic writer Thomas B. Allen is a wonderful addition to the library of any history buff, particularly buffs of the American Civil War (1861-65). Comprehensive yet more accessible than, say, Shelby Foote or James M. McPherson's more academic works, The Blue & the Gray contains details galore about the War Between the States, accompanied by myriad photographs, profiles, and maps, both contemporary to the book's publication and to the War, to illustrate one of the bloodiest internecine conflicts in history.

With extensive discussions of the roles of women, African-Americans, Indians, medical professionals, and important figures during the War, The Blue & the Gray conveys vividly the nature of the War, with National Geographic's typical attention to detail and everyday life. It's not hard to visualize the one million casualties—dead, maimed, wounded, missing, and unidentified—on both sides of the War, particularly given photographer Sam Abell's sobering images of solemn battlefield memorials and now-peaceful landscapes. The vintage photographs provide further illustration of the humanity of the War. (Perhaps most unnerving, yet most evocative, is a black-and-white image of a downed horse, its artillery wagon felled beside it.)

In short, a valuable asset, presentable on the shelf or on the coffee table.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains details galore about the Civil War accompanied by myriad photographs, profiles, and maps, to illustrate the American Civil War with extensive discussions of the roles of women, African-Americans, Indians, medical professionals, and important figures during the War