17 of the Greatest Battles of the Civil War Come Alive as Never Before For the first time, breakthrough computer graphics re-create every detail of the Civil War's most important battles. A team of experts has researched every aspect of every battle—from topography to troop strength—and, using the computer's latest capabilities, reconstructs the battlefields in vivid detail and analyzes why and how the winners won. Also included is a wealth of contemporary anecdotes, eyewitness accounts, character studies, paintings, drawings and period photographs that reveal a uniquely accurate picture of the most memorable battles of the Civil War. An amazing commander's view. Had the generals possessed these graphics, history might have changed. Here's how it works: From a standard 2-dimensional map, the computer constructs a sophisticated 3-dimensional graphic of the battle site. Then the artists overlay all the details of the battle: troop movement, weapon deployment, the state of the terrain, even the exact weather conditions.

Examines great battles of the American Civil War, from the first battle at Bull Run in 1861 to the Battle of the Five Forks in 1865.

On January 19, 1862, Confederate and Union forces clashed in the now-forgotten Battle of Mill Springs. Armies of inexperienced soldiers chaotically fought in the wooded terrain of south-central Kentucky as rain turned bloodied ground to mud. Mill Springs was the first major Union victory since the Federal disaster of Bull Run. This Union triumph secured the Bluegrass State in Union hands, opening the large expanses of Tennessee for Federal invasion. From General Felix Zollicoffer meeting his death by wandering into Union lines to the heroics of General George Thomas, Civil War historian Stuart Sanders chronicles this important battle and its essential role in the war.

The complete text of one of the most important speeches in American history, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln arrived at the battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to remember not only the grim bloodshed that had just occurred there, but also to remember the American ideals that were being put to the ultimate test by the Civil War. A rousing appeal to the nation’s better angels, The Gettysburg Address remains an inspiring vision of the United States as a country “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

“An extremely good writer, [Ayers] is well worth reading . . . on the South and Southern history.”—Stephen Sears, Boston Globe The Southern past has proven to be fertile ground for great works of history. Peculiarities of tragic proportions—a system of slavery flourishing in a land of freedom, secession and Civil War tearing at a federal Union, deep poverty persisting in a nation of fast-paced development—have fed the imaginations of some of our most accomplished historians. Foremost in their ranks today is Edward L. Ayers, author of the award-winning and ongoing study of the Civil War in the heart of America, the Valley of the Shadow Project. In wide-ranging essays on the Civil War, the New South, and the twentieth-century South, Ayers turns over the rich soil of Southern life to explore the sources of the nation's and his own history. The title essay, original here, distills his vast research and offers a fresh perspective on the nation's central historical event.

In his highly acclaimed middle-school class "Great Battles for Boys," author Joe Giorello has ignited a love of reading and history in hundreds of boys. Now your son can experience that same thrilling adventure in learning with this engaging non-fiction series written specifically for boys ages 8-14.In this installment of the bestselling history series, young readers will learn about World War I's major battles, leaders, tactics and modern inventions such as airplanes and tanks that were crucial to "The Great War"-named not because the conflict was so good, but because its losses were so devastating. It's an unforgettable journey into history.Among the battles covered here: Battle of Tannenberg: outnumbered German soldiers pull a sneak attack and destroy Russian forces, capturing 150,000 prisoners of war. Battle of the Somme: Among military history's worst follies, this battle ended with more than one million casualties-and yet achieved almost nothing for either the Allies or the Central Powers. Battle of Cantigny: A little-known battle that proved late-arriving and novice American forces came to the Western Front to win this long-suffering war.Other chapters cover WWI's most fascinating figures, such as Lawrence of Arabia, Sergeant York, and the Harlem Hellfighters. Boys will also gain an understanding of the world events shaped by this monumental conflict, including the Russian Revolution of 1917.Filled with historic photographs, maps, and notable biographies of ordinary soldiers who accomplished extraordinary feats against all odds, Great Battles for Boys: WWI explains the weapons, tactics, and strategies that helped the Allies topple the Central Powers. Each chapter also concludes with suggestions for further age-appropriate books, internet sites, and movies that the whole family can watch together.

Volume 6 brings readers more of the best first-person accounts of marches, encampments, skirmishes, and full-blown battles, as seen by participants on both sides of the conflict. Alongside the experiences of lower-ranking officers and enlisted men are accounts from key personalities including General John Gibbon, General John C. Lee, and seven prominent generals from both sides offering views on "why the Confederacy failed." This volume includes 120 illustrations, including 16 previously uncollected maps of battlefields, troop movements, and fortifications.