An Illustrated History of the Civil War: Images of an American Tragedy

by Time-Life Books

A visual history of the American Civil War presents more than one thousand period images, many never before published, that chronicle the battle campaigns and everyday lives of the soldiers on both sides in a collection of period photographs, maps, cartoons, paintings, and sketches that capture the events and personalities of the time. 100,000 first printing.

Genres: Civil War, History, Nonfiction, American History

454 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2000

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Illustrated History of the Civil War is a fine visual primer for those looking to get their feet wet in the War Between the States. Having seen many of the photos here, I enjoyed more the contemporary images of and stories behind wartime artifacts, including lithographs, letters, field-surgery kits, battlefield flags, etc. Maybe there’s a book more centered around those objects? The book’s layout is well-designed, but sometimes losing photographic details in a larger spread due to the gutter is bothersome.

[SoulSurvivor · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like reading about great military conflicts, especially The Civil War, and looking over maps with details so small they make your eyes bleed, this book is for you. Well done for the genre.

[Ross Bishop]

Good photos, thin on historical content.

[Alethea Hammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good comprehensive collection of old photos and illustrations. The accompanying text may be a little bit less than enough to explain the Civil War to those who haven't already read several other books.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a rule, I'm not terribly fond of the "coffee table" history books produced by the editors of Time-Life Books. Usually, they opt for more glitz than substance and you end up with a pretty, hefty (and this one certainly is, weighing in at more than 5 pounds - yes, I weighed it), but bland piece of history. However, this, I am very pleased to say, is a much better book than their usual effort.

Although this is an illustrated history, the narrative that begins each chapter is very well written. The topics are interesting, especially the chapters on the abolitionists and the secessionists. They do an excellent job of setting the stage for the Civil War.

I have but one complaint, a glaring factual error - they have the Battle of Gettysburg taking place in 1864 rather than 1863. Mistakes like this are easy to make (a stray finger on a keyboard...) but this is the most famous battle of the war!

Read all of my reviews of books about the American Civil War here: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The images in this book are phenomenal and a great addition to the Civil War tomes currently in circulation. I only gave it 4 stars because it is short on historical content and is best if viewed while reading other historical works such as those by James McPherson.