Flags of the American Civil War (1): Confederate

Osprey Men at Arms #252

by Philip R.N. Katcher

The very heart of the Confederate fighting unit was its flag, which came in a variety of designs and colours. The flag was the rallying point on the field of battle and it marked the unit headquarters in camp. In 1865, at the war's conclusion, the furling of the defeated Confederate banners signalled the end of that episode in history. As the first of three books focusing on flags of the Civil War (1861-1865), Philip Katcher's text provides a detailed look into Confederate flags. Full colour illustrations and rare photographs portray the myriad variations of flags used to represent the seceding southern states.

Genres: American Civil War, Nonfiction, History, Military History

48 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 1992

About the author

Phililp Katcher has written over 20 titles in the Men-at-Arms Series including the highly successful five-volume set on Armies of the American Civil War.

Reviews

[Dimitri]

As per usual, that stubborn Southern stateness is the spice of study. The different designs of the Battle Flag occupy centre stage, complete with a reproduction of a 1880's colour booklet. While the Union volume out of three tries to make the reader feel the emotional significance of a regimental banner, the South acted on it with more bravado on the field.

But once again, the book trades colour flags for text in the public domain.