School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Single-page chapters, each accompanied by a dramatic full-page photograph or painting, make this an especially accessible introduction to the war. Concise accounts of major battles and key campaigns combine with topical entries covering women, slavery, and other areas. Highlighted "Quick Facts," numerous anecdotes, and well-chosen quotes enhance the appeal. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Two- to four-page chapters briefly describe specific battles, groups, and themes of the Civil War from origins to Reconstruction. A Quick Facts sidebar and period photographs, paintings, and maps illustrate each section. While the information is sound, the space constraints do not do justice to the topics. A timeline and list of Civil War websites are included. Bib., glos., ind. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Two percent of the whole population-620,000 soldiers-died in the Civil War. This is almost the number killed in all other wars America has fought, from the Revolution through Vietnam; at the same percentage, the number of Americans killed in a war today would be five and a half million. It was a war that changed America in many ways. It ended slavery, it preserved the union as indivisible, and it continued the process of making America a land of "liberty for all." Five generations later, the war is still fascinating. An estimated 50,000 books have been written about it, many movies made, and Civil War reenactments continue in popularity. Yet there is always a need for another good overview and this fills that need. McPherson, one of the leading Civil War historians, pens an excellent introduction. Focusing mostly on the battles, the volume includes black-and-white photographs by Mathew Brady and Timothy O'Sullivan, period oil paintings, maps, and numerous sidebars with additional "Quick Facts." Most topics are given a one-page treatment, and this-though sometimes limiting-is part of the volume's great appeal: brief, well-written accounts of battles, key people, and issues. The maps are well done, as is the inclusion of soldiers' letters. The bibliography includes mostly books for adults, so it is not useful in guiding young enthusiasts to further age-appropriate books. A thoughtfully and clearly constructed offering that will appeal to history buffs young and old and a must for any Civil War history collection. (glossary, bibliography, Web sites, index) (Nonfiction. 9+)
Booklist Review
Gr. 6^-8. This large-format book provides an attractive and readable introduction to the Civil War. A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who has published many books on the war, McPherson writes with authority, offering a broad overview as well as many details and anecdotes that give his account a human dimension. A typical double-page spread comprises several paragraphs of text focused on a single topic; a sidebar of quick facts; a small, captioned picture; and a large, full-page picture. The many fine illustrations include period photographs, paintings, prints, some excellent maps and, on the endpapers, a time line of the war. Topics include single battles and leaders as well as broader subjects, such as the Emancipation Proclamation and African American soldiers. Completing the presentation are a lengthy glossary, a bibliography, and a list of recommended Web sites. A good balance of information and illustration on a topic of perennial interest. --Carolyn Phelan
