Eyewitness to the Civil War: The Complete History from Secession to Reconstruction

by Stephen G. Hyslop, Neil Kagan (Editor), Harris J. Andrews (Introduction)

At once an informed overview for general-interest readers and a superb resource for serious buffs, this extraordinary, gloriously illustrated volume is sure to become one of the fundamental books in any Civil War library. Its features include a dramatic narrative packed with eyewitness accounts and hundreds of rare photographs, artifacts, and period illustrations. Evocative sidebars, detailed maps, and timelines add to the reference-ready quality of the text.

From John Brown's raid to Reconstruction, Eyewitness to the Civil War presents a clear, comprehensive discussion that addresses every military, political, and social aspect of this crucial period. In-depth descriptions of campaigns and battles in all theaters of war are accompanied by a thorough evaluation of the nonmilitary elements of the struggle between North and South. In their own words, commanders and common soldiers in both armies tell of life on the battlefield and behind the lines, while letters from wives, mothers, and sisters provide a portrait of the home front. More than 375 historical photographs, portraits, and artifacts—many never before published—evoke the era's flavor; and detailed maps of terrain and troop movements make it easy to follow the strategies and tactics of Union and Confederate generals as they fought through four harsh years of war. Photoessays on topics ranging from the everyday lives of soldiers to the dramatic escapades of the cavalry lend a breathtaking you-are-there feeling, and an inclusive appendix adds even more detail to what is already a magnificently meticulous history.

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

416 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 2006

About the author

Stephen G. Hyslop worked for many years as a writer and editor at Time-Life Books, where he contributed to a series of books on American Indians.

Reviews

[Christopher Desruisseau]

A good book, it really brings the civil war to life with the photos of the era.

[Stacey]

A lot of my recent reading has been U.S. History - before, during and after the Civil War. I had seen a copy of "Eyewitness to the Civil War" a couple of years ago, and without opening it, thought it looked more like a coffee table book than something that would be very informative. Well, I was wrong. In addition to many actual photograhs of military and political leaders as well as "common" folks and slaves taken during the mid- 1860s, there was a lot of information on the social and political culture of the time, as well as maps that were a huge help in understanding the logistics of the many battles.

While I have read other books that may have contained more overall detail of the Civil War era, this book put out by National Geograhic was by far the easiest to read and held my attention. I'm a "visual" person, so the photos of people, places, artifacts and the maps really contributed to my understanding of the material and enjoyment of the book itself.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in U.S. History and military history.

[Jim Vuksic]

Of all the books I have read pertaining to America's Civil War (1861 - 1865), this complete history of the war from Secession through the Reconstruction era proved to be the most interesting and entertaining. I highly recommend it to both those who have to-date shown little or no interest in this subject as well as those who have made it a point to study it.

Photographs taken utilizing the crude equipment and methods of the time have been restored and presented unedited. Many taken during and immediately following battles reveal the horrors and devastation of combat. The more graphic photos of corpses and injured soldiers may prove to be too gruesome for some readers.

Non-military aspects of the era, including the social and personal lives of the civilians, whose lives were dramatically impacted by the war and its aftermath, receive equal attention throughout the book.

[Eric]

This is a really solid narrative account of America's Civil War, one of the worst episodes in American history. It tries to distinguish itself from the glut of other Civil War histories by focusing on photos, maps, and as the title implies, first-hand eyewitness accounts. The result is an informative overview and some fascinating tales by those in the trenches.

[M.K. McClintock]

Beautifully done and carefully written. It's not written like a standard textbook or historical tomb and therefore easier to absorb the information. Though not a scholar on the Civil War by any means, I do enjoy reading about it and this book does a wonderful job of telling the stories and the history. The photographs are beautiful, heart wrenching and captivating. I would recommend it for anyone's library and definitely for reading.

[Amy]

This is book is not good. It's a broad military history, and skips over or gives a less than stellar interpretation of many topics--for example, this book presents Lincoln's letter to Horace Greeley at face value and not as the nuanced political play it actually was given that Lincoln had already drafted the Emancipation Proclamation. There are also printing errors with pages repeated and others left out. Some great photographs and maps but not worth your purchase or time reading.

[Dick]

Nice recap of the war - with a good deal of old and yes even some new photos (new to me).

[Nataraj Sundar]

An interesting primer to the American Civil war.

[Jessica Jewett]

Love it. I use this book for reference a lot. Highly recommended.

[Belle Meade School]

900

[Michelle Teeter]

Good info, and great for pictures!