Book Review--The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War

Wagner, Margaret E. The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War. Little Brown and Co., New York, NY. 2011. 254 pages, 233 pages text. Index, bibliography, notes, color and b/w photos, maps. ISBN 9780316120685, $35.


With access to the resources of the Library of Congress the reader should expect nothing less than an exceptional book. Author Margaret E. Wagner has certainly delivered upon this expectation.

Wagner serves as a senior writer and editor in the Publishing Office of the Library of Congress and has written, co-written, or edited several other works including The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference, The Library of Congress World War II Companion, Maxfield Parrish and the Illustrators of the Golden Age amongst others. Her background with the available resources at the LOC makes her an obvious choice for this work.

Published in a "coffee table" format the book works perfectly as a conversation piece as well as a book that can be referred to regularly or just perused at the readers' leisure. The book is broken into four logical chapters based upon major events or shifts in the war. In a timeline work such as this though I don't really feel chapters are needed.

Being written in chronological order the reader is able to follow the war on an almost daily basis. For parents working to instill an interest in history in their children a book like this is ideal. The family can read the events of the day together. Mind you, the book is not written with children as a target market however. As would be expected some days have much more information than others. No days however dominate the book. Even the mystique that surrounds the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg does not lead it to more than it's fair share. Most days events can be read within a matter of a couple of minutes.

Wagner and "picture editor" Athena Angelos have done a masterful job in choosing the illustrations that grace practically every page. With over 350 in the book even the most hard core of Civil War historians is likely to see something new. From famous portraits, to copies of letters, to maps and artworks you will find it here. For those wanting copies for themselves there is a useful section that includes LOC image call numbers. This is invaluable for finding copies on the LOC website.

The book wraps up with a full set of notes and a large bibliography. The bibliography also includes website information for many listings that are in the public domain and that can be downloaded for free. A nice inclusion is also a section describing the various collections of Civil War material available through the LOC.

This is a worthwhile book for those with a passing interest in the war or for those who already have an in depth knowledge of events. The book is beautiful to look through and contains a wealth of information for those of all knowledge levels. While the price may seem high once you see the book I am sure you will agree the price is worth it, especially if you can find it at a discount.

Thanks to Little Brown for sending a complimentary review copy.

Upcoming Reviews

A couple of books have been received from publishers recently. Thanks go out to these publishers for their generosity!

The good folks at Little Brown have been kind enough to send along a copy of the beautiful new book The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War. At over 250 pages and packed with illustrations and photos this chronological look at the war is sure to find it's way on to many holiday wish lists and will no doubt fill many stockings in December. Written by Margaret Wagner, who has written other history books for the LOC, the book draws on the Library archive and features many never before published illustrations. A large coffee table sized hardcover book this one looks to have the markings of a winner.

Received recently from Forge is Cold Glory written by B. Kent Anderson. Please read the information below from the publisher website for further insight into this book. Also, be on the lookout for a contest on this site for a free copy of this new hardcover book generously provided by the publisher.
Cold Glory is the exciting start to a brand-new thriller series by B. Kent Anderson.

When the first page of a shocking Civil War-era document is unearthed in Oklahoma, history professor Nick Journey is called in to evaluate the find--and is promptly attacked by two men armed with Special Forces weapons.

Federal agent Meg Tolman's investigation into Journey's attack uncovers more troubling questions than answers. She soon finds herself joining Journey's cross-country quest to recover and protect the missing pages.

A shadowy group, the Glory Warriors, have been desperately searching for this explosive document to legitimize what is nothing less than a military coup. After their first attempt to steal it from Journey fails, they follow him, knowing that he holds the key to uncovering the long-lost papers.

They also set their plan into motion and begin assassinating key political figures. As the country plunges into chaos, Journey and Tolman search frantically for the remaining pages. And the Glory Warrior operatives are hot on their trail….

Press Release--Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War

I received the following recently on a new book title being published by Little Brown. The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War looks like it will be an interesting book being released just in time for the holiday gift giving season.


With striking visuals from the Library of Congress' unparalleled archive, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ILLUSTRATED TIMELINE OF THE CIVIL WAR is an authoritative and engaging narrative of the domestic conflict that determined the course of American history. A detailed chronological timeline of the war captures the harrowing intensity of 19th-century warfare in first-hand accounts from soldiers, nurses, and front-line journalists. Readers will be enthralled by speech drafts in Lincoln's own hand, quotes from the likes of Frederick Douglass and Robert E. Lee, and portraits of key soldiers and politicians who are not covered in standard textbooks. The Illustrated Timeline's exciting new source material and lucid organization will give Civil War enthusiasts a fresh look at this defining period in our nation's history.

A senior writer-editor in the Publishing Office of the Library of Congress, Margaret E. Wagner is the coauthor and coeditor of The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference and The Library of Congress World War II Desk Reference and author of The American Civil War: 365 Days, World War II: 365 Days, and Maxfield Parrish and the Illustrators of the Golden Age.

Gary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia, is the author or editor of many books in the field of Civil War history, including The Confederate War; Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War; and The Union War.

Little, Brown, and Co. has been kind enough to make a preview of the book available to readers. Just click below for a sneak peak of this interesting looking book. I'm sure you'll agree this is one worth looking for when it is released.