The American Civil War (2): The War in the West 1861-July 1863

This volume in the 4-part Essential Histories series focusing on the American Civil War chronicles the early war in the American West. That means you get detailed accounts of battles fought between the Union and the Confederacy in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. From the crucial battle of Shiloh to the fall of Vicksburg, this book details the domination of the Confederacy in those states during the early stages of the Civil War. Manpower and money overwhelmingly favored the North in the Western theatre of the Civil War, and while a few key battles could theoretically have turned the tide in favor of the South, the outcome of the war in the West seems inevitable when looking at the situation as described in this book. Very well-written, this concise and smoothly-worded book makes for an excellent review of the events described. Detailed, but easy to read, this book could serve as a quick reference to individual battles or as a short (but informative) primer to one of the most important and influential conflicts in the history of the world. Highly recommended along with its companion volume (The American Civil War: The War in the East 1861 - 1863) that covers events in the East during the same time frame.