Booknotes: U.S. Civil War Battle by Battle

New Arrival:
• U.S. Civil War Battle by Battle by Iain MacGregor (Osprey, 2022).

"This attractively packaged gift book" is a pocket-sized intro to Civil War battles from Sumter to Appomattox. Long-time Osprey Publishing editor Iain MacGregor's U.S. Civil War Battle by Battle "tells the story of 30 of the most significant of these battles. These include some of the most famous clashes, such as the battles of Gettysburg and the Fredericksburg, which resonate through American military history, but also the less well known, such as the battles of Brandy Station and Cedar Creek." Around three pages of text and illustration are devoted to each battle, the selections overall offering a reasonable balance between east and west. Even the 1861 Battle of Lexington in Missouri is included!

Best known for their original map paintings, photos, and art plates of various war-themed objects, Osprey has been in business of providing illustrated popular military history titles since the late 1960s. While this 5" x 7.5" pocket book does not include any maps from the publisher's archive, it does reproduce many of the classic battle scenes, ship, weaponry, uniform, and accoutrement illustrations found in other volumes.

Though it's certainly not written as a children's book, this title's best use might be as a gift to curious youths, done with the hope of passing on to the next generation the Civil War history seed that took firm root in all of us.