The American Civil War: A Visual History (DK Publishing)

Having enjoyed DK's visual-intensive treatments of WWI and WWII, I wanted to check out their take on the American Civil War.  I wasn't disappointed.

The Civil War (1861-1865) was the bloodiest conflict fought on American soil. The Confederate States of America (CSA)- 11 southern, pro-slavery states (see map below)- seceded from the USA in 1860-61 following years of intense debates about the future of the American West and whether new states would be slave or free (the decision would affect balance of power in Congress, and hence the future of slavery in the country). After Confederate secession, USA President Abraham Lincoln declared war to preserve the union, and the conflict was on.   Over 620,000 died in the war, as state fought state and (often) brother fought brother.  As the war progressed, the issue of slavery took center stage, and the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) followed by the Thirteenth Amendment (1865) abolished slavery in America forever- though the battle for equality would be far from over.

The USA at the outbreak of the Civil War.  Note some slave-holding states were part of the Union.  Source here.

The war resulted in heroes and villains on both sides, and the conflict has been studied in detail ever since.  It produced famous generals who are now household names like Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Richard T. Sherman.  The battles- most of which were fought in the South- have been analyzed repeatedly, and the cause(s) of the war are still hotly contested (the most frequent debate centering on the role of slavery vs. state's rights).  This book covers the issues, battles, and personalities succinctly and well.  True to its title, the graphics are outstanding- with numerous paintings, photographs, maps, and other visual aids to complement to well-written text.  I was impressed with how balanced the account was, enjoyed learning about the contrasting viewpoints on why people fought.  It is an overview, so depth is sacrificed to be comprehensive in just 350 pages.  Still, this is a tidy volume that informs the reader and gives fair attention to both sides in this horrible conflict.  Recommended.

Rating: A