“The Civil War: An Illustrated History”, by Geoffrey C. War, with Ric Burns and Ken Burns

 

426 pages, Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN-13: 978-0394562858

If you live long enough and buy enough books you end up with a collection that bounces all over the place but also with several books that reflect your core interests and desires – like the American Civil War, for example, my starting-off point for All Things Historical. Which is why this book, The Civil War: An Illustrated History by Geoffrey C. War, with Ric Burns and Ken Burns (yes, the guys responsible for the PBS Civil War documentary to end all documentaries) came into my possession. Because…why not? Can never have too many books, can you?

This work is essentially a companion to piece to that show, and if you’ve seen it multiple times, as I have, then many of the photographs will be familiar to you. Which should be the principle selling point of this book, for while there is a ton of information contained within, it is the pictures – and maps; wicked-awesome maps, likewise taken directly from the show – that is the selling point. Indeed, I found myself rewatching the show with this book on my lap, following along with what was happening on-screen with what was happening on-page.

This is thus not an exhaustive tome on the Civil War, but rather a primer that, hopefully, will whet one’s appetite to learn more, an illustrated history aimed at the general public that was inspired to seek out more by the PBS series. For all that it is an excellent resource on this most awful of conflicts that shows, through its images and maps, just how deadly and inhumane the Civil War actually was. With the political climate as it currently is, one can only hope that reading and watching all we can on the Civil War will convince everyone to step back from the abyss.