Although previously undervalued for their strategic impact because they represented only a small percentage of total forces, the Union and Confederate navies were crucial to the outcome of the Civil War. In War on the Waters, James M. McPherson has crafted an enlightening, at times harrowing, and ultimately thrilling account of the war's naval campaigns and their military leaders. McPherson recounts how the Union navy's blockade of the Confederate...

In this book, prize winning author James M. McPherson tells the story of the battle of Antietam - the turning point of the whole Civil War, and the bloodiest day in American history. In a concise narrative, McPherson takes readers through the events leading up to Antietam, and through the savage fighting of the battle itself. The final chapters will discuss the aftermath of the battle and why it truly was a pivotal moment in American history.

Examines the events and effects of the American Civil War.

Evaluates Lincoln's talents as a commander in chief in spite of limited military experience, tracing the ways in which he worked with, or against, his senior commanders to defeat the Confederacy and reshape the presidential role.

Read about the Old West and its people.

An investigation into what motivated those who fought in the Civil War, based on the letters and diaries of nearly 1,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.

Presents the battle of Gettysburg through the paintings of Mort Künstler with text that focuses on the men who participated in the fight that marked a turning point in the Civil War.

Filled with fresh interpretations, puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, Drawn With the Sword explores such questions as why the North won and why the South lost (emphasizing the role of contingency in the Northern victory), whether Southern or Northern aggression began the war, and who really freed the slaves, Abraham Lincoln or the slaves themselves. McPherson offers memorable portraits of the great leaders who people the landscape of the...

Faced with failing health and financial ruin, the Civil War's greatest general and former president wrote his personal memoirs to secure his family's future - and won himself a unique place in American letters. Devoted almost entirely to his life as a soldier, Grant's Memoirs traces the trajectory of his extraordinary career - from West Point cadet to general-in-chief of all Union armies. For their directness and clarity, his writings on war are without...

The 200 maps in this specialized atlas show troop movements (first and second positions, retreats), physical features, and the location of towns and counties. Clearly defined symbols indicate army hierarchies (corps, division, brigade), topographic features, and battle lines (encampments, siege lines, batteries).