National Geographic Guide to Civil War National Battlefield Parks [Paperback]

National Geographic Society (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1993

Thirty-seven newly commissioned, easy-to-read maps lead readers to each Civil War battle site and are accompanied by discussions of what occurred during each confrontation. 10,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The best travel guide to Civil War sites, this full-color book provides helpful overviews of what happened at key battlefields. It is not comprehensive, but roughly two dozen major spots have full descriptions. (No, they didn't forget to include Antietam--but don't expect to find anything on lesser-known attractions such as Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida.) Perhaps most useful is the practical information for people planning trips: directions to each battlefield, park hours, entrance fees, phone numbers, brief notes on what to expect, and lists of nearby historic inns. This book's compact size makes it an ideal traveling companion, even if you're planning to visit only one site and have limited trunk space. And the photos are typically beautiful--exactly what you would expect from National Geographic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (October 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870448781
• ISBN-13: 978-0870448782
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 4.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,343,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with info and high quality maps, November 8, 2001

By 

Pete Agren (Twin Cities, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic Guide to Civil War National Battlefield Parks (Paperback)

My original intent on purchasing this book was to use it as a atlas to accompany a large Civil War novel I was reading which had very generic maps. Instead, I got much more.
The two authors, who have lengthy resumes in Civil War studies, have provided ample information in this book to give the reader a vast understanding of the battlefield site, its involvement in the war, and what services are at the site today to help your visit to it.

23 National Battlefields are covered in full detail with a number of smaller venue sites like National Historic Landmarks having basic info listed (phone numbers and addresses).
The book is split up into chapters which cover each state that had an official Civil War engagement within its borders. The chapters begin with a brief introduction on what role the state served in the war. These two-page introductions pack a ton of interesting facts into them including number of troops and generals involved from that state, casualties, number of engagements in the state's borders, importance of the state to the Union or CSA and why it aligned to the side it fought for.
After the introduction, each major battle is covered in 2-5 pages by:
- a summary by the authors as to what happened, why it happened where it did and what the victor got out of the battle.
- fantastic, color maps showing troop movements, key geographical features and terrain type.
- wonderful photographs that live up to the well-respected reputation that National Geographic has always had with its periodical pics.
- park information including directions to the NPS headquarters, phone numbers and addresses for the Park, schedule, entrance fee, points of interests, tours, and nearby historic inns to stay at.
I highly recommend this to anyone planning a tour of battlesites because it gives you a detailed history of the past with outstanding visuals, and the info of the battlefield in the present that a visitor needs to make their trip an enjoyable one.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-have for Civil War Battlefield Travellers, June 22, 2000

By 

William A. Hoff, Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic Guide to Civil War National Battlefield Parks (Paperback)

Extremely beneficial must-have for anyone planning on visiting any or all Civil War battlefields. Even if you don't plan on travelling to the sites, the book is user-friendly with great information for any Civil War buff.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great pocket companion for the Civil War tourist, June 20, 2003

By 

historyone (Republic of Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: National Geographic Guide to Civil War National Battlefield Parks (Paperback)

This is a neat little guide to those who like to tour Civil War Battlefields. National Geographic did a good job with the pictures and brief overviews of various important battles of the Civil War. The book is divided up by states and the battles that were fought in the individual states. The guidebook is not much into the finite detail, but that is okay, it is not the objective of the guidebook.
This makes a nice "companion" to the Civil War enthusiast who wants to know the basic details about individual battlefields. It should not be limited to those who are visiting the actual battlefields themselves, but also to those "arm chair" historians who would just like to have a brief overview of the important battles of the Civil War.

Highly Recommended!