Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0743434803, Paperback)

Ask Civil War diehards when they first fell in love with the War Between the States and there's a good chance you'll hear about one of the early editions of this book, which was originally published on the war's centennial. Thoroughly updated by the remarkable James M. McPherson to take advantage of the latest scholarship, this classic retains all of the wonderful features Bruce Catton originally included. And then there are the pictures--they are some of the most striking battlefield visuals available. The American Heritage New History of the Civil War makes a great gift for young people interested (or potentially interested) in history, or good reading for folks who want an overview of how the North and South fought across five Aprils.