Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History [5 volumes]

by David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler

Overview

An award-winning and highly recommended comprehensive reference set on the political, social, and military aspects of the American Civil War.

The Encyclopedia of the American Civil War is the most comprehensive reference set ever compiled on this pivotal confrontation. Its five oversized volumes, rich with illustrations, maps, and primary source documents, offer more than 1,600 authoritative entries that chart the war's strategic aims, analyze diplomatic and political maneuvering, describe key military actions, sketch important participants, assess developments in military science, and discuss the social and financial impact of the conflict.

Written by scholars, the essays are both authoritative and easily accessible to history buffs, students, and general readers. Brief entry bibliographies lead curious readers to the most reliable sources for further information.

• Over 1,600 signed A–Z entries, authored by notable scholars and referenced for further reading
• Over 300 contributors, including some of the leading Civil War scholars at work today
• More than 500 illustrations, including contemporary photographs, lithographs, and drawings
• 75 maps created specifically for this encyclopedia
• A chronology, glossary, and exhaustive index
• Over 250 primary source documents

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576070666
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/13/2000
Pages:	2733
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.90(h) x 8.60(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

David S. Heidler, PhD, is an independent scholar.

Jeanne T. Heidler is professor of American history at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.

Editorial Reviews

"Encyclopedia of the American Civil War is outstanding, and every serious Civil War historian will want access to it. . . . Historians of the Civil War era owe a debt of gratitude to everyone connected with this ambitiously conceived, wonderfully realized, new resource." - The Journal of Military History

"This encyclopedia is superb—an outstanding and comprehensive work which renders all similar works redundant." - North & South

"No other reference work compares with the range of this enterprise in canvassing the war. Every academic and major public library will need these volumes." - Library Journal, Starred Review

"Encyclopedia of the American Civil War is the most comprehensive reference work written about its topic, providing both the novice and the expert an opportunity to expand their knowledge of this vital aspect of U.S. history. Recommended for high school, public, and academic libraries." - Booklist, Starred Review

"Highly recommended for undergraduates, and useful for graduate students and researchers/faculty." - Choice

"The entries reflect recent advances in scholarship and interpretation, and the editorial perspective throughout is evenhanded. As purely a reference work, the encyclopedia admirably fulfills its duty of facilitating further research on the Civil War [and] all those who purchase and use the encyclopedia are almost certain to be pleased and impressed. The five volume set demonstrates how valuable reference tools of this kind can be." - Civil War Book Review

"Despite a tremendous popular interest in the Civil War, scholars have lacked a major reference work that dealt with all aspects of the tragic era until now. . . . The most comprehensive and up-to-date encyclopedia available on the Civil War. This outstanding contribution to reference publishing will be in demand in a wide variety of libraries." - Lawrence Looks at Books

"History buffs as well as those who simply need facts on the Civil War era will be delighted with this outstanding reference work. . . . An excellent addition for the collection supporting a strong history curriculum. Highly recommended." - The Book Report

"An altogether excellent resource for research or general browsing interest." - School Library Journal

"This impressive new encyclopedia should become a standard source for students, specialists, and others in the general pubic who either specialize in or are simply fascinated by the American Civil War. . . . As a Civil War historian, this reviewer is both impressed and pleased with this new work. . . . This is an important work that is highly recommended for any and all libraries and individuals with an interest in the American Civil War." - American Reference Books Annual

From the Publisher

Novice and expert alike will be able to broaden their knowledge of the War Between the States with these five thick, well-illustrated volumes that are widely regarded as the ultimate survey of America's bloodiest conflict.

bn.com

As the interest in and literature on the American Civil War grows in size and complexity each year, getting a firm hold of the subject has become almost impossible. This encyclopedia provides an essential service in combining an excellent array of battle maps and famous photographs with over 1600 concise (though sometimes too concise) entries on subjects that range from armories to nursing to Zouaves. Together, the text and images effectively capture the character and conduct of war and society. Although military subjects and biographies predominate, the encyclopedia includes numerous entries on politics, homefront mobilization, blacks and women in the war, the press, government programs in the North and South, technology, and soldiers' and relief organizations. These entries collectively show how the war touched virtually every aspect of American life. A volume of key documents of the era brings the war home with letters from officers describing battles, secession ordinances, critical speeches, and other primary sources. Appendixes listing executive officers and military leaders and a glossary of military terms add to the encyclopedia's usefulness. Although some bibliographies of individual entries are dated, the general bibliography compensates, and, more importantly, the entries are uniformly informed and clearly written. No other reference work compares with the range of this enterprise in canvassing the war. Every academic and major public library will need these volumes, edited by an independent scholar and the director of American history at the U.S. Air Force Base, respectively, as one of the quickest and surest routes into what historian James McPherson rightly identifies as "the most written-about subject in American history."--Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

This five-volume encyclopedia covers every subject and significant person connected with the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. The 1600-plus articles range from a column to several pages in length and cover myriad topics from the coming of the war to its conducts and its consequences in a political, military, and social context. In addition to full biographies of major and minor military, political, diplomatic, and cultural figures, they include descriptions of approximately 60 major engagements as well as important skirmishes and their role in the larger military setting, and broad areas such as strategy and tactics, social trends, and technological innovations. The volumes also supply about 250 primary documents, 75 maps depicting military situations, and 500 b&w illustrations (contemporary photographs, lithographs, and drawings), a chronology of major events, and a special battlefield section for sites in 16 states, with location maps. Appendices present the executive officers of both the United States and Confederate States and general officers of each army. Edited by David S. Heidler (independent scholar of American military history) and Jeanne T. Heidler (American history, U. S. Air Force Academy). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews