This was the perfect book for me to start my reviews. This was a Library of Congress book written by Martin Sandler and I am a total fan. If i was going to introduce the Civil War to a class, I would use this book. I was blown away by the way the author gave a foundation for the war and built on the details of the conflict. Seriously, the book is well written and covers the important information that would useful in introducing the war complexities to a class. I can't wait to read the rest of the books written by Mr. Sandler for the Library of Congress series. This book would be great for a 5th grade class that is exploring the details of the war. Most of the illustrations and pictures would invite discussions of the plight of the soldier and the allow the students to witness the war from each side. I've studied the war and the book had details and issues that weren't apparent to me. If you're interested in a refresher to the Civil War, read this book. ( )

The Civil War conflict profoundly affected everyone it touched. Sandler chronicles the war through illustrations and quotations highlighting the soldiers who sacrificed and survived the USA's greatest test and how the stress of it showed on the face of President Lincoln. Easy to read with lots of illustrations.