Arms and Equipment of the Civil War

by Jack Coggins

The first military conflict to use iron-clad gunboats, metallic cartridges, and submarines, the Civil War also introduced such inventions as the telegraph and military balloon, utilized by the Signal Corps. This comprehensive reference brings a fresh perspective to wartime victories and defeats, with vivid descriptions of how the war was fought and what material was available to armies and navies of the Union and the Confederacy.
Profusely illustrated with hundreds of the author's own drawings, Jack Coggins's remarkable encyclopedia of military hardware and technology also describes such equipment as pontoon bridges, corduroy roads, "excelsior" percussion grenades, "freak guns," siege artillery, mines, and submarine torpedoes. Offering a new view on how military resources decided the outcome not only of battles, but of the war as well, the text also includes on-the-scene comments by Union and Confederate soldiers about equipment and camp life in general.
A must-have book for every Civil War enthusiast and for readers interested in the development of weaponry.

Genres: Civil War, History, Military History, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1982

Reviews

[Amanda Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was jam-packed full of great information! It covers the formation of the army, the various guns and ammunition used, the railroad, the navy, and more in great detail. Pencil drawings detailed the information, making it easier to know exactly what the text was explaining. For someone who is researching different points of the Civil War and how the military works, this book was invaluable. A nice bonus was that it was just fun to read.

[Kevin Postlewaite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than expected, covered aspects of the Civil War I was interested in, especially the different artillery shell types. Small arms details were more interesting than expected.

[Damon Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book, if a little dated on the arms, equipment, orgainazation of the Civil War armies and navies. Art work is awesome, and I would think a very good book for someone just starting to read about the Civil War.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for brushing up on Civil War matters.