Product Description

A newly updated edition of this concise but comprehensive history reflects a synthesis of the major writings on the war, as refined and focused through Professor Roland's own research and interpretation. This is the story of the war with the emphasis on the military action, that element which distinguishes war from all other human activities. Accounts of the major political, economic, diplomatic, social, and cultural developments of the epoch are covered; approximately half of the book is devoted to them. But these discussions are woven into the central narrative in a manner designed to show their role in the war effort itself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #671428 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-09
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

From Library Journal
Like many other Civil War historians, Roland here summarizes the results of years of research and writing in a narrative aimed at the general reading public. He tackles most of the important topics: military mobilization, governmental administration, political developments, and, primarily, the military events that have traditionally seized Americans' imaginations; he also briefly discusses the experiences of blacks, women, and dissenters. Roland's prose, while not always graceful, is clear and, especially in battle segments, quite readable. He effectively contrasts the leading figures on both sides and argues that the North won the war because of superior leadership and a more effective development of national policy and military strategy. Roland's work is less comprehensive than James McPherson's recent Battle Cry of Freedom (LJ 3/1/88; an LJ "Best Book") and less analytical than the work of Phillip Shaw Paludan and Emory Thomas, respectively, on the wartime North ( A People's Contest, Harper, 1988) and South ( The Confederate Nation 1861-1865, LJ 4/1/79), but it will be useful for general readers or for upper division history courses on the Civil War era.
- James Marten, Marquette Univ., Milwaukee
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Emory M. Thomas
"This volume is surely the best brief history of the United States and the Confederate State at war."

Library Journal
"Roland's prose is clear, and especially in the battle segments, quite readable."