Complete Idiot's Guide to the Civil War

You don't have to reenact the Civil War to understand it! You're no idiot, of course. You know the Civil War was one of the darkest periods in American history-and that the ramifications of this conflict continue to cause heated debates across the Mason-Dixon line to this very day. With this new edition of The Complete Idiot's GuideR to the Civil War, you'll learn the causes and consequences behind the battles that nearly tore America apart-without ever having to don a uniform. In this revised and expanded Complete Idiot's GuideR, you get: * Battle-by-battle coverage-featuring the lesser known but pivotal skirmishes. * Thorough details about the innovative weaponry used by both the Union and Confederate armies. * Idiot-proof tips on tracing your Civil War ancestry. * A current and comprehensive listing of Civil War reenactments-organized by date and state. March off to war with Billy Yank and Johnny Reb. * Uncover Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's costly mistake at the Battle of Shiloh. * Discover the Civil War's other combatants, warriors of the Apache and Navajo nations. * Meet the Union army's first black regiment-the 54th Massachusetts. * Explore the grim reality of a POW at Andersonville. * Understand the principles of the Wade-Davis plan for Reconstruction. * Understand the lingering effects of Lincoln's assassination.Axelrod, Alan is the author of 'Complete Idiot's Guide to the Civil War', published 2003 under ISBN 9781592571321 and ISBN 1592571328.