This book offers an illustrated encyclopedia that can be used as a reference work for the Civil War as well as for recreational reading.

A fully illustrated, accessible encyclopedic collection in an A-to-Z format of essays on every significant Civil War battle, with authoritative text prepared by the Civil War Society. Includes maps and archival illustrations and photographs.

This book offers an illustrated encyclopedia that can be used as a reference work for the Civil War as well as for recreational reading.

"A great resource for students of the Civil War. The first half of this volume takes a day-by-day look at the events of the Civil War, looking at what was going on both politically and militarily across the Country on almost every day of the years 1861 - 1865. Following this is an encyclopediac reference to all manner of Civil War-related topics. Most of the entries are brief, but it is a worthy starting-point at least."--Publisher's description.

The Crimean War is sometimes considered to be the first modern conflict and introduced technical changes which affected the future course of warfare.

A complete look at weapons—from the Stone Age and Bronze Age to present day—from spears and swords to handguns and automatic weapons. When did hunting weapons begin to be used against humans instead of animals? What is the difference between the Plains Indian War Club and the Fijian War Club? What weapon is common to peoples in every part of the world? The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry is a comprehensive guide to arms and armaments throughout history. Beginning in the Stone Age, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry travels through the Bronze Age to our present day, showing the tools humans have used to defend themselves all around the globe. There’s the Japanese tanto, or dagger, which have become identified with gangs known as yakuza. There’s the flaming arrow used when Swiss and Austrian forces clashed in the 14th century. And there’s the revolver that Samuel Colt made practical for both military and civilian use in Hartford, Connecticut. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry will help readers better understand how—and why—the battles of history were fought.

A gold mine for the historian as well as the Civil War buff, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Civil War offers a concise, comprehensive overview of the major personalities and pivotal events of the war that redefined the American nation. Drawing upon recent research that has moved beyond battles and military campaigns to address the significant roles played by civilians, women, and African Americans, the 250 entries explore the era in all its complexity and unmistakable human drama. Here of course are the major battles and campaigns, ranging from Gettysburg and Shiloh to Sherman's March to the Sea, as well as biographical entries on everyone from Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee to Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, and Walt Whitman. But the book also features entries on a wealth of other matters--music, photography, religion, economics, foreign affairs, medicine, prisons, legislative landmarks, military terms and weaponry, political events, social reform, women in the war, and much more. In addition, charts, newly commissioned maps, chronologies, and period photographs provide an appealing visual context. Suggestions for further reading at the end of most entries and a guide to more general sources in an appendix introduce the reader to the literature on a specific topic. A list of Civil War museums and historic sites and a representative sampling of Civil War websites also point to resources that can be tailored to individual interests. A quick, convenient, user-friendly guide to all facets of the Civil War, this new updated edition also serves as an invaluable gateway to the rich historical record now available, perfect for virtually anyone who wants to learn more about this tumultuous period in our history.