The Illustrated Directory of the Civil War (Paperback)

~ William Davis (Author), Ray Bonds (Author) "In the American Civil War the enemy were not outsiders from over the border or across the sea, but fellow citizens of the same country,..." (more)
Key Phrases: state seal button, stamped brass insignia, deluxe sword, New York, West Point, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This magnificent array of artifacts photographed at the finest collections throughout the United States is sure to appeal to military collectors, wargamers, re-enactors, and history buffs. Superb photography depicts rifles, muskets and handguns; swords and bayonets; artillery pieces and shells; caps, badges of rank, medals, belt buckles and buttons; and uniforms and field gear. The U.S. Army, Confederate Army, and militias are all represented. Descriptions of the military paraphernalia are accompanied by specially commissioned color plates depicting uniformed figures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press (April 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760310483
• ISBN-13: 978-0760310489
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,126,039 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, pretty good., May 29, 2003

By	"a1987cj8" (Southwest Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This is a great reference book. The pictures are excelent. Great overview of the uniforms, accoutrements, weapons, and such of the different armies throughout the war. I especially liked the individual Regiment pages with illustrations showing what a soldier might have looked like in a given regiment.

Miller did pretty good, but he loses a star here for his biased writing. In the book, Confederate General Braxton Bragg is touted as a man who, owning a Bible, probably didn't read it, given the shape of his troops, while Sherman's atrocities are overlooked, and he is praised as a man whose "place among American commanders remains secure," and Miller speaks with surprise that he is controversial, since it's been "over a century and a quarter" since he burned and pillaged the South. Anyways, this is a great resource for reenactors and anyone interested in militaria of the War Between the States.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What One Would Expect and What One Would Like to See, April 8, 2007

By	Virgil Brown (White Oak, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Illustrated Directory of Weapons, Uniforms and Equipment of the Civil War (Paperback)

The authors have made this just the book that most of us expect and would like to see. The first 227 pages cover the uniforms worn during the Civil War. These pages are subdivided between uniforms worn by Federal soldiers and Confederate soldiers. Each subdivision is preceded by an overview which includes headgear, insignia, and basic equipment.

Next come 184 pages on arms and munitions. This includes the usual surveys of hand weapons and artillery but also includes information on supply trains, etc. The breadth of the authors may be seen in the inclusion of a rocket launcher among Union artillery pieces or a Vandenburgh volley gun among Confederate artillery. (This volley gun looks somewhat like a Gattling gun but with about 85 barrels.)

This gun has an interesting history. Origen Vandenburgh was a general in the New York State militia. When he failed to sell his gun to the United States, he went to England where production was begun. But Vandenburgh failed to sell the gun to the British. Somehow, whether Vandenburgh knew it or not, a copy of the gun was sold to the Confederates. Each 12.7mm barrel had to be loaded between volleys that were fired simultaneously.

The last 140 or so pages contain naval uniforms, weapons, and artifacts, flags, and miscellaneous artifacts including prisoner of war handcrafts and telegraphic equipment.

Not any book can contain all the information that one might like to have. This book lacks any discussion of naval vessels in order to concentrate on other topics. Personally I would like to have seen an index at the end of the book to help me out. But no book has it all, and I can get by with the clear chapter headings that are used.

I did have a concern about a possible bias on the part of the authors. Confederate General Beauregard was chastized by the authors for his flamboyant dress. "It is a sad reflection" that he and some other Confederate officers "worried so much about their own clothing ... when their soldiers had barely enoughclothing to cover themselves with, nor shoes to walk in." I know of no other valid criticism by a Confederate soldier of Maj Gen PGT Beauregard. Is it because his soldiers found inspiration in his flambouyant uniform just as Custer's did?

Uniforms were confusing and changed during the Civil War. Northern zouave units and Southern zouave units would be indiscernable just as much today as they were during the Civil War. Some uniforms changed due to the need for conformity and some due to economic reasons. Ulysses Grant cared little for the formality of dress. Robert E Lee dressed as a Confederate colonel.

What one would expect from an illustrated directory is plenty of good information. What one would like to see is all that information as carefully organized as it is.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Refence for the Civil War Student!, June 25, 2004

By	Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Illustrated Directory of Weapons, Uniforms and Equipment of the Civil War (Paperback)

The book is an excellence reference for anyone who wants to know more about how the North and South were armed and dressed during the war.

Included are color pictures of the following items from North and South: infantry/calvary/artillery uniforms, weapons (rifles, swords, pistols), flags, naval artifacts, ammunition, and other items.

The book also includes several attractive drawings of figures representing particular units.

Whatever your interest in the Civil War, I highly recommend the title as an excellent source of valuable information.

Read and enjoy!