Product Description

When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 both Confederate and Union experts decided that specialized sharpshooter units should be formed. These highly trained marksmen served in a front-line role and, due to the technological developments of the 1850s, were equipped with weapons that could guarantee greater accuracy over increased range than traditional muskets. This title examines the recruitment, training, tactics and deployment of sharpshooters from both sides of the conflict. It also takes a close look at the specialized personal weaponry of the sharpshooter, the rifle and its accoutrements, as well as the sharpshooters' unique insignia and identification patches.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #471408 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-18
• Released on: 2002-10-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781841764634
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
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From the Publisher
Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.

About the Author
Philip Katcher served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He is the author of over 30 books in the field of American military history, and was named a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians for his work on the Vietnam conflict. He is also a member of the living history Civil War unit, serving with Huckstep's First Fluvanna Battery/24th New York Light Artillery.

Customer Reviews

An excellent introduction to the Civil War's elite soldiers
This is a great summary of the role of sharpshooters in the American Civil War. It has a list of the different sharpshooter units of both Union & Confederate armies, b & w photos of artifacts including a James Morgan target rifle, a Colt revolving rifle, a Sharps rifle, 1858 Enfield rifled muskets, & thankfully, an 1863 Whitworth, the preferred choice of the Confederate sharpshooters. I've been a Civil War buff since the age of seven & two of my ancestors were Confederate sharpshooters: Pvt. David B. Forehand, Co. C, 1st Bn. Georgia Sharpshooters, & Pvt. Jeptha Forehand, Co. B, 17th Bn. Alabama Sharpshooters. Both served honorably throughout the war in the Army of Tennessee. This book has eight pages of color illustrations, including one of a soldier of Georgia's 1st Bn. Sharpshooters. While only 64 pages long, this book is highly recommended to all Civil War buffs. For a more in-depth look at Union sharpshooters, I recommend Wiley Sword's "Sharpshooter: Hiram Berdan, His Famous Sharpshooters, & Their Sharps Rifles". Books on Confederate sharpshooters are few & far between, but I recommend "Diary of a Confederate Sharpshooter: the Life of James Conrad Peters" as well as "Georgia Sharpshooter: the Civil War Diary & Letters of William R. Montgomery".

One of my favorite Osprey titles...
This book covers training,combat,uniforms,weapons and tactics of Union and Confederate sharpshooters. The plates are great especially Berdan's Sharpshooters at Gettysburg. Any Civil War fan will enjoy this book!

Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-1865
Very nice pictures of uniforms and equipment for the Confederate and Union Armies. Nice detail and focus on accuracy of the accessories used by the soldiers. Rifles were pictured in a group with enlarged breech areas. All done in artists rendition. Few actual pictures of rifles, except with pictures of soldiers posing with rifles. Hard to see detail then.Pictures are old and grainy. And no close-ups of them. I suppose there are few rifles to use for pictures. I like the Green uniforms shown for Berdains Sharpshooters. Book presents brief overview of Sharpshooters from both sides. Nice quick summary book. Short but sweet! Thanks. Larry