From 1861 to 1865, the Civil War ravaged the United States in a war that was different from any that had gone before. Improved artillery and musketry made the war more lethal, while new technology made transportation and communications important elements of battlefield strategy. The end result was a total war in which the United States and the Confederacy fought for their very survival. Battles of the Civil War introduces 20 key battles from a conflict that lay waste the United States for four bloody years. Beginning with the Confederate capture of Fort Sumter (April 1861), and concluding with the capitulation of Petersburg, Virginia (April 1865), after an eight-month long siege to Union forces, this book offers accessible and concise accounts of all the decisive battles of the American Civil War. The book includes every type of battle, including the huge set-piece infantry battles at First Manassas (July 1861), Antietam ((September 1862) and Gettysburg (July 1863); the use of cavalry at Chancellorsville (May 1863) and in the Peninsula Campaign, and the successful Union blockade of the South that result in the destruction of the Confederate navy at New Orleans (May 1862) and Mobile Bay (August 1864). Each battle includes a contextual introduction of the campaign, a concise description of the action, and an analysis of the aftermath. A specially-commissioned, colour map illustrating the dispositions and movement of forces brings the subject to life and helps the reader to grasp at a glance the development of the battle. With more than 200 colour and black-and-white maps, artworks, and photographs illustrating the battles, leading players, and tactics of the era, Battles of the Civil War provides a useful and accessible introduction to some key battles of the most bloody conflict in the history of the United States. Designed for both the general reader and enthusiast, the book is an essential companion for anyone interested in nineteenth-century military history.
