The West Point Atlas of American Wars: Vol. 1, 1689-1900

by Vincent J. Esposito (Editor)

Presents maps with corresponding narratives covering every campaign in American wars from 1689 to the Korean War

Genres: Military History, Civil War

330 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A premier collection of maps covering the American military experience from the colonial period to the Spanish-American War, with great emphasis on the Civil War. The accompanying text provides context for the clear and detailed maps that give the reader a thorough understanding of the battles and campaigns covered.

[Roger Burk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvels of clarity. Curiously, there's nothing from the Indian wars.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: There are two volumes of this atlas. The first covers colonial fighting in North America through the Spanish-American War, with a heavy focus on the Civil War. The second covers World War I and World War II. I am reviewing the first volume.

When I first bought this book, I was disappointed. I had hoped for a set of maps showing the disposition of individual units during each battle of the Civil War (like those offered at civilwar.org). Instead I saw a series of red and blue arrows, accompanied by various commanders' names. However, when I started studying the maps, and especially the accompanying commentary by Vincent Esposito, I became engrossed and started to see war in a new way. This book gives the reader the view of war from the generals' perspective: strategies for victory, crucial infrastructure to protect, logistical difficulties to surmount. The maps range from a national perspective (giving me a sense for the first time of how the various theaters in the war interacted with each other) to the most local (showing the rivers, roads, railroads, and hills that played a crucial role in the outcome of each battle).

As is proper for its significance in American history, the Civil War takes up the lion's share of this book. The other wars receive only a handful of maps each, though these often pack a surprising level of detail into the available space. But those who buy this atlas hoping to learn about, say, the War of 1812 will probably be disappointed.

[Curtiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and highly-detailed set of maps and accompanying text depicting the various campaigns and battles involving American/Colonial troops and naval units, from King William's War (1689-1697) up thru the far-flung naval battles of The Spanish-American War (1898). Part of a two-volume boxed set.