The Photographic History of the Civil War, Ten Volumes
Illustrated, 10 volumes, 2009. The Edwin Mellen Press, www.mellenpress.com, $149.95 per volume, $995.95 for all 10. Most Civil War buffs are familiar with Francis Trevelyan Miller’s The Photographic History of the Civil War, originally published in 1912. These volumes have been republished several times over the years; now, The Edwin Mellen Press has made these volumes available to new readers. In the words of editor John Rupnow, he republished them “to make available to Americans today the photographic record of what actually happened during the Civil War. In these pictures, we can actually experience the maimed dying in our streets and the dead lying in our own backyards.” Each volume in the series has a different theme: The Opening Battles; Two Years of Grim War; The Decisive Battles; The Cavalry; Forts and Artillery; The Navies; Prisons and Hospitals; Soldier Life/Secret Service; Poetry and Eloquence of Blue and Gray; and Armies and Leaders. In addition to the thousands of fine photos in this work, there are many exceptional articles written by men who were there. These include “The Destruction of Rosecrans’ Great Wagon Train,” in The Cavalry volume, by John Allen Wyeth of Quirk’s Scouts, CSA. John Wyeth is famous for a well-known biography of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. In the Forts and Artillery volume, you will find “Reminiscences of the Confederate Engineer Service” by T.M.R. Talcott, colonel commanding the Army of Northern Virginia engineering troops. Allen C. Redwood of the 55th Virginia Infantry contributed “The Confederate of ‘61’” and “The Confederate in the Field,” while balloonist, Professor T.S.C. Lowe, authored “The Balloons With the Army of the Potomac” for the Soldier Life/Secret Service volume. For the Armies and Leaders volume, Allen C. Redwood furnished “Stonewall Jackson – A Memory.” These are just a few examples of the articles in the series. The Photographic History of the Civil War is an invaluable reference work and I believe everyone should have access to it. I recommend it highly, but I fear it may be so excessively priced as to place it out of the reach of many Civil War buffs. Used copies of previous editions can still be had at much more reasonable prices. But those willing to spend this amount will have an outstanding and handsome set of books for their Civil War libraries. Also, this series would be an excellent investment for public and educational libraries. Reviewer: Robert L. Durham Robert L. Durham is a computer specialist. A longtime Civil War buff, he is also interested in Old West history and has written articles and book reviews for Alamo Journal, True West, Journal of the Alamo Battlefield Association, and Alamo de Parras web site at www.flash.net/~alamo3
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