The Handy Civil War Answer Book

Gr 5 Up—Using a question-and-answer format, this information-filled volume offers a plethora of facts about the Civil War, beginning with the slavery debate of the 1850s and its impact on California's statehood. The text chronicles major topics, including the birth of the Republican Party, the emergence of Abraham Lincoln, the election of 1860, secession, generals, battles, social and economic conditions in the North and South, Lincoln's second inaugural address, Appomattox, the assassination of Lincoln and contemporary topics concerning reenactors, Civil War movies, and the war's place in modern memory. Responses to the numerous posed questions divide the information into short paragraphs. The highlight of the volume is the author's use of quotes from primary sources, such as newspapers and accounts from diarists and historians. Black-and-white photographs are scattered throughout, along with sidebars offering additional information to textual data. Though the title contains maps, some of them are quite small and difficult to use. There are also some errors: it should be noted that the famous Civil War-era photographer was Mathew Brady, not Thomas Brady; a photo is incorrectly captioned as the Lincoln Home; and the U.S. Grant papers total 31 volumes, not 11. An inexpensive addition to the numerous Civil War books being published during the sesquicentennial.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel