A Battlefield Atlas of the Civil War

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I love this book. It is great to have beside you whenever you are reading any other book about Civil War battles. Although some other map books have more elaborate maps, this small volume is so handy to use that I find that it is the one I always consult first.

Rating:
Summary: A Simple, Straightforward Guide
Review: If you want to know the basics of the Civil War and its battles, this is the book for you. Symonds has distilled the information that is elaborated in larger tomes down to an easy to read and reference guide of every major land battle of the war.
There is a two-page fold for each battle (with some exceptions that have more, like Gettysburg). On one page is a simple but informative map of the battle, while the opposite is an instructive narrative about the battle's events. The battles are also broken up into three sections that introduce the major campaigns and the important actors (politicians, Generals) that are vital to understanding the events of the war.
If you like the Civil War as a hobby, buy this book. If you are reading about the war in another book or novel and want an atlas of the battles mentioned, buy this book. If you are taking a Civil War course... including Symond's own at the Naval Academy... buy this book. It is an invaluable resource.