Don Troiani's Regiments & Uniforms of the Civil War

by Don Troiani, Earl J. Coates, Michael J. McAfee

In the world of historical painting, Don Troiani stands alone, universally acclaimed for the accuracy, drama, and sensitivity of his depictions of America's past. His Civil War paintings and limited edition prints hang in the finest collections in the country and are noted by collectors from around the world. Now, in Don Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War, the artist turns his brush to one of the most colorful and captivating aspects of Civil War history: the individual units that earned their reputations on the battlefield and the distinctive uniforms they wore. In addition to 130 paintings of battle scenes and individual figures, the book also includes more than 250 full-color photographs of the uniforms the soldiers wore and the accouterments they carried. Supporting the illustrations is text by two of the leading military artifact experts. Taken together, it makes for one of the most comprehensive books on Civil War uniforms ever undertaken

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

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2002

Reviews

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I’m a working historian with a strong interest in material culture and artifacts, combined with a tourist’s interest in Civil War battlefields, I’ve long been a fan of Troiani’s amazingly detailed, extremely accurate, almost photographic art. This gorgeous volume combines large-scale reproductions of 130 of his paintings with some 250 color photos of surviving uniforms and equipment from museums and collections around the country (including Troiani’s own). After a couple hours of page-turning, I went back and spent much more time studying the depictions of units of special interest to me, such as the Washington Artillery of New Orleans and Terry’s Texas Rangers. The variety in uniforms and insignia is staggering, especially compared to the “uniformity” of modern military uniforms. As usual, he includes extensive technical notes and specs, as well as an annotated guide to artifact collections. It’s not a cheap book, but it’s worth every penny.