Fighting Men of the Civil War

by William C. Davis

The Fighting Men of the Civil War provide us with perhaps the clearest view possible of those soldiers of another age, and in doing so allows us to go some way toward sharing with them America's terrible civil conflict. We can hardly hope to understand a nation at war with itself if we know nothing of the people who did the fighting.

Shifting the focus from the officers to the men in the ranks, Davis shows readers the common soldier's Civil War, including basic training, life in the camps and on the march, and the experience of combat, imprisonment, and sickness. 266 photos & illustrations, 84 in color.

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

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Currently professor of history at Virginia Tech, William C. Davis has written over fifty books, most about the American Civil War. He has won the Jefferson Davis Prize for southern history three times, the Jules F. Landry Award for Southern history once, and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

For several years, he was the editor of the magazine Civil War Times Illustrated. He has also served as a consultant on the A&E television series Civil War Journal.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Steven Latour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing documentation of the lives of Johnny Reb and Billy Yank during the Civil War. A thorough exploration of pictures, letters, weapons, and uniforms, with quotations from letters in their original language and grammar. A must-read for any student.

[Rowan Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations, good content, panoramic view of the conflict from many angles

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from my parents when I was a boy. In purchasing the book I am sure my parents thought I would enjoy the photographs and illustrations that fill its pages. My parents could not have been more right. I have acquired many books about the military and the American Civil War since my parents gave me Rebels and Yankees, however, few have conveyed the ins and outs, the minutiae of nineteenth century warfare so well.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is part of the Rebels and Yankees Series published by Salamander in the early 1990's. As a series the books served as wonderful primers on the American Civil War. The added bonus for me was prints of various units.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Full of full-color as well as black and white pictures of Civil War Memorabilia as well as beautiful drawings of the uniforms and soldiers who fought in the Civil War. B+.

[Chad Lamb · Rating 2 out of 5]

More dull pictures of uniforms, weapons, etc. This just isn't my interest, I guess.