The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War

Description

Here, Eicher gives us an authoritative single-volume battle history that spans the entire Civil War. It covers hundreds of engagements on land and sea, and along rivers. The often neglected Western theatre and the naval actions along the coasts and major rivers are also given their due. Such major battles as Gettysburg and Chancellorsville are described in detail, but Eicher also examines lesser-known actions such as Sabine Pass, Texas and Fort Clinch, Florida. The result is a popular history that is aimed at anyone learning about this war for the first time while at the same time offering more than a few surprises for longtime students. The text draws on hundreds of sources and includes numerous excerpts from letters and diaries by the soldiers who fought the war. Eicher analyzes each side's evolving strategy and examines the tactics of Lee, Grant, Johnston, Sherman and other leading figures of the war. He also discusses such militarily significant topics as prisons, railroads, shipbuilding, clandestine operations and the expanding role of African Americans in the war.

David J Eicher is an astronomer and Civil War historian. The managing editor of Astronomy magazine, he is the author of several books on the Civil War. He lives with his wife and son in the Milwaukee suburbs.

A military history that covers hundreds of engagements on land and sea. Major battles such as Gettysburg and Chancellorsville are described in detail and other lesser-known actions are also examined in a gripping popular history that also discusses social topics such as railroads, prisons and the expanding role of black freemen and slaves in the war.