American Civil War

by Thomas E. Greiss

Covers the events of the Civil War from a military point of view, with an emphasis on strategy and tactics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895292726
• ISBN13: 9780895292728
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Avery Publishing Group
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.5" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Excellent Overview of Military Considerations

The US Military Academies have published several excellent books on military history, and this one follows the same path of excellence. I deducted one star because all the maps are in another book which makes it hard to follow the campaigns at times and it increases the price of the "book" substantially when the maps are purchased. Plus, I have found other books with better maps; however, they do not match up with the text of this book; thus, the reader may feel they have to buy both the book and the map book thereby more than doubling the cost. I like this overview of the Civil War because it mostly leaves politics behind and concentrates on the battles themselves and the military considerations going into these battles. I have read The Battle Cry of Freedom (excellent book), Bruce Canton's series, and Shelby Foot's series on the Civil War as well as other tombs; however, here I learned how difficult it was for the American staffs of both armies to adjust to the demands of the large and total war. It became clear why, in the early stages of the war, maneuvers failed. The staff could not effectively carry out the orders they were given by the generals. It also became clear that the CSA under Lee made great strides at improving its staff work and it showed as the battles in the east progressed. Lee's army could respond to his orders quickly and effectively while the Union armies were still struggling with the process of command and control. This book also points out how the organization of artillery (for example) made a large difference in the battles. It was much more than the type of artillery, the organization of the artillery made a big difference. The same holds true for the unit organizations. The South was not using Corps organizations early on and it made the coordination of attacks more difficult. Over and over again, this book shows the reader how the somewhat obscure parts of the military profession made very large contributions to victory or defeat for the two sides. If you want to explore the causes of the Civil War, or the personalities behind the conflict, or if you want to delve deeply into the weaponry this is not the book you will want to buy. If you want the war from an almost pure military perspective this is a must read. AD

A very good overview of military actions during the war

This book gives a good insight in the military operations during the american civil war. The books helps a lot to get a clear understanding of the decisions wich where taken by the military and civil leaders. A strongly recommend to buy also the Atlas.

This is an excellent book for all levels of readers.

The West Point series consists of an excellent group of works, and "the American Civil War" is no exception. The text is easy enough for almost anyone to understand, which makes it ideal for students doing research. In fact, I first used this book in a high school class! However, the series also contains enough detail and information to be taken seriously by the experienced historian. Overall it is an excellent resource as well as an enjoyable read.(The only bad point is that because the text is such a large book for a softcover the pages have a regrettable tendancy to come loose and fall out if the book is used often. Be gentle and they should stay in place