The four long years of Civil War saw fighting across America on an unprecedented scale, incurring losses to both sides to an extent never previously imagined. As the battles raged from east to west, from the First Battle of Bull run to Sherman's march to the Sea, no part of America remained untouched by the war, with families finding themselves torn and fighting on opposing sides. More than 150 years on, the war continues to fascinate us, and the key commanders, both presidents, and battle sites are forever enshrined in America's history. With a foreword by James McPherson, this volume brings together the work of four leading US historians to provide a thoroughly comprehensive and insightful study of the war, packed with first-hand accounts from soldiers and civilians alike. Superbly illustrated with more than 150 contemporary black-and white and color images, and with 40 specially commissioned full-color maps, this edition provides an analysis of the causes, events, and effects of the Civil War.

Author Biography

Gary Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several books, among them "Lee and His Generals in War And Memory," "The Confederate War" and "Stephen Dodson Ramseur: Lee's Gallant General." Stephen Eagle is professor of history at Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of many books and articles on the Civil War, particularly the war in the western theater. Robert Krick has been responsible for the preservation of several battlefields in Virginia for more than 30 years. He is the author of a dozen books and more than one hundred published articles. Joseph T. Glatthaar is currently Professor of History at the University of Houston. Among his publications are The March to the Sea and Beyond and Forged in Battle. Stephen D. Engle is professor of history at Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of many books and articles on the Civil War, particularly the war in the western theater, including biographies of German-American Franz Sigel (Yankee Dutchman, 1993, reprint 1999) and Union General Don Carlos Buell (Most Promising of All, 1999). His forthcoming work, Struggle for the Heartland, a volume in the "Great Campaigns of the Civil War," focuses on the early phase of the Civil War in the West. His articles have appeared in Civil War History, Journal of Negro History, and Yearbook of German-American Studies. He is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards and in1995-1996 was a Fulbright Scholar at Martin Luther University in Germany. He has lectured both in the United States and in Germany and is currently engaged in research for a book on Lincoln and the War Governors. Robert K. Krick was born in California, and has been responsible for the preservation of several battlefields in Virginia for more than 30 years. He is the author of a dozen books and more than one hundred published articles. His Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain won the Douglas Southall Freeman Award for Best Book in Southern History. Joseph T. Glatthaar is currently Professor of History at the University of Houston. Among his publications are The March to the Sea and Beyond: Sherman's Troops in the Savannah and Carolinas Campaign; Forged in Battle: The Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers; and Partnerships in Command: The Relationships between Leaders in the Civil War.