The West Point Atlas of American Wars: Vol. 1, 1689-1900 [Hardcover]

Vincent J. Esposito (Editor), General John. R. Galvin (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1995

Out of print for nearly a decade, this newly revised and updated, definitive altas of American wars covers the every major conflict in which the United States participated from 1869 to 1900, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. "A work of tremendous importance . . . a brilliantly concise and lucid history of each war."--Boston Herald. 158 maps.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Originally published in 1959 and unavailable for many years, this atlas has long been considered a classic. Prepared by distinguished members of the Department of Military Art and Engineering at the U.S. Military Academy, it has been used as an instructional tool at the academy. This new edition covers every military campaign from 1689 to 1900. During this period the Civil War was the major conflict; therefore, approximately 90 percent of the 158 maps are devoted to that war. As in the previous edition, all maps are in three or four colors; red signifies the enemy; blue, U.S. forces, and gray, topographic features. This new edition uses white paper instead of buff, which makes the topographical features stand out better. Approximately 41 errors noted by footnotes in the previous edition have been corrected. Most of these corrections concern names of people or places, but several show significant changes in troop movement and geographic features. For example, map 12c corrects the name Pakenham, map 5a notes the correct location of Harlem Heights, and map 94 adds a railroad and corrects troop locations. As in the former edition, the format is uniform with text on left-hand pages and maps on the right, which makes for very little turning of pages to match text and map.

A comparison of the present and previous editions shows the text to be almost identical. The introduction, chronology of events of the Civil War, and table of symbols are all the same. The bibliography at the end of the volume has been totally revised and contains about 230 monographs. Many of the titles have publication dates in the 1990s and reflect the latest scholarship. The brief annotations accompanying many entries in the first edition have been eliminated in this one. There are a few minor criticisms. Occasionally, place-names are obscured by other material. For example, on map 4b the name Lexington is cut in half by a directional arrow. Also, sometimes the map scales are difficult to read because of the small numerals. It is odd that there is the subject heading "The Indian Wars" in the bibliography, but no materials listed on the Seminole War or on the numerous Indian campaigns after the Civil War.

The excellent design of this unique atlas facilitates use by scholars and the general public. Because it has been an extremely popular work, libraries may find their copy damaged by heavy use and will want to replace it. Those lacking copies should give serious consideration to acquiring one. Because this is a History Book Club featured selection, it may be in demand by history buffs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; Revised edition (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805033912
• ISBN-13: 978-0805033915
• Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 10.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,002,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > United States

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Military History as it should be Written, October 7, 2000

By 

Kevin F. Kiley - See all my reviews

This review is from: The West Point Atlas of American Wars: Vol. 1, 1689-1900 (Hardcover)

This Atlas is indispensable for the study of American militiary history. Written as a two volume text for the cadets of the Us Military Academy at West Point in the late 1950s, it has never gone out of date, and was prepared by some of the best scholars in uniform at the time, including Col John Elting.

Having used the Atlas at the Academy as a cadet, I can vouch for both its accuracy, the quality of the maps, and its relevance in the study of American military operations. The maps are superb, and the text clear and concise. Simple, straightforward, and to the point, it maps out in much clarity the early days of American military operations while still a colony, the Revolution, War of 1812, the Mexican War, Civil War, and the Spanish American War.

I have used these volumes for over thirty years and the reference is invaluable and a great help in understanding the sweep of the campaigns of the Civil War, as well as the intricacies of the operations of the Mexican and Revolutionary Wars. This Atlas definitely belongs in the collection of every student of this fascinating subject.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book On War, September 3, 2001

By 

An Educator And Former Human Relations Instructor (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The West Point Atlas of American Wars: Vol. 1, 1689-1900 (Hardcover)

This book is as good as it gets for pictorial guides on War. However, it's not on West Point (for that, I loved Norman Thomas Remick's book, "West Point"). But, if you're searching for a study guide or reference book, stop here. Your search is ended. Vincent Esposito of the USMA Dept. of Military Art and Engineering did a terrific job!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible guide to military history., April 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The West Point Atlas of American Wars: Vol. 1, 1689-1900 (Hardcover)

The most comprehensive and simple to understand set of military maps I have ever seen. I bought this book I to serve as aids while reading other works of military history, but I find myself reading it by itself. In addition to the superb and user-friendly maps, this book contains excellent narratives, which are short and concise. If you've shied away from military history because the troop manuevers were hard to understand or picture, these two volumes will clear up any confusion. The best I've found.