Book overview
The Cambridge History of the American Civil War provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the American Civil War. With contributions from over seventy-five leading historians of the Civil War, the three-volume reference work investigates the full range of human experiences and outcomes in this most transformative moment in American and global history. Volume 1 is organized around military affairs, assessing major battles and campaigns of the conflict. Volume 2 explores political and social affairs, conveying the experiences of millions of Americans who lived outside the major campaign zones in both the North and South. Volume 3 examines cultural and intellectual affairs, considering how the War's duration, scale, and intensity drove Americans to question how they understood themselves as people. The volumes conclude with an assessment of the legacies of the Civil War, demonstrating that its impact on American life shaped the country in the decades long after the end of the War.