Hardcover, black cloth cover, with dust jacket illustrating the crossed flags of the Union and the Confederacy, entitled "The American Heritage Picture History of The Civil War - The Epic Struggle of the Blue and the Gray", narrative by Bruce Catton, edited by Richard M. Ketchum, originally copyrighted by American Heritage Publishing Co. Inc. in 1960, published in 1982 by Bonanza Books, distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc. of New York, N.Y. by arrangement with American Heritage Publishing Co. Inc., ISBN 0-517-385562. The dust jacket gives a brief analysis of the book: "During the past century each new generation of Americans has discovered the fascination and deep meaning of the Civil War. An average of perhaps a book a day has been written on some aspect of this great conflict - the New York Public Library has more than 18,000 volumes on the subject - testimony to the abiding mark the struggle left on the American People. Yet despite the many books written on the subject, "The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War" is a totally new kind of history. Here is the true look of the war with 836 pictures, including many in color that have never been printed before. The illustrations range from the superb photographs of Mathew Brady and the famous sketches of Winslow Homer to dozens of previously unknown paintings, drawings, and eye-witness battle scenes. No previous single volume on the war has even approached the magnitude and the color of this collection. Here too is a fast-moving narrative, covering both the military and political aspects of the war, by the man who is one of its most famous students, Bruce Catton. Catton, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History, is the author of "A Stillness at Appomattox", "This Hallowed Ground", "Grant Moves South", and many other histories of the Civil War period. Only a master of the subject could encompass those crowded years of history in such a vital narrative, evoking the sweep and drama of a nation at war, bringing to life leaders and common soldiers of both sides. Accompanying the pictures are text blocks and captions by the staff of the American Heritage Publishing Company Book Division. More than just labels, the captions are carefully designed to supplement the narrative. The book's 18 especially drawn and painstakingly researched battle picture-maps make it possible to trace the actual maneuvers of famous battles and are a noteworthy contribution to the understanding of the war. For the historian and the Civil War enthusiast, the color reproductions alone make this book a collector's prize. But it is more than that. For any American family, here is a dramatic record of the war we must all understand - brief and accurate, from the perspective of a century; evocative and absorbing, in the words of a master of the art; as close to life and as colorful as today's fine graphic art and pictorial journalism can come." In addition, a quote from the author, Bruce Catton states: "The Civil War is the thing that makes America different. It was our most tremendous experience, and it is not quite like anything that ever happened to anyone else. The story of this war needs retelling...because it helped to shape the future of the human race." It begins with a Table of Contents and an Introduction, followed by nineteen chapters: A House Divided; The Opening Guns; The Clash of Amateur Armies; Real Warfare Begins; The Navies; Confederate High-Water Mark; A Search for Allies; Stalemate, East and West; The South's Last Opportunity; The Armies; Two Economies at War; The Destruction of Slavery; The Northern Vise Tightens; The Politics of War; Total Warfare; The Forlorn Hope; Victory; End and Beginning; A Sound of Distant Drums. It concludes with a list of Acknowledgements and the Index. The book contains 632 pages, printed in four colour inks, on an off-white paper stock, weighing approximately 2 kilograms, measuring 220 mm (w) x 283 mm (h) x 44 mm (d). It has experienced wear along the hinge between pages 630 and 631, exposing the underlying binding, along with slight discoloration on the edge of the pages, however, the text and illustrations remain unaffected. Better than very fine.
Footnote: Charles Bruce Catton (October 9, 1899 - August 28, 1978) was an American historian and journalist, known best for his books concerning the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular history, featuring interesting characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses. His books were researched well and included footnotes. He won a Pulitzer Prize during 1954 for "A Stillness at Appomattox", his study of the final campaign of the war in Virginia.
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