American civil war

On this day in 1861, the American Civil War pitting the Northern union of states against the Southern Confederacy, began.

"...before American culture had been universalised by Hollywood, the technology of television, and the international music industry, America really was a different place and society from the Old World, which had given it birth. Europeans who made the voyage noted differences of every sort, not only political and economic, but human and social as well."

--from "The American Civil War: A Military History" by John Keegan

The greatest military historian of our time gives a peerless account of America’s most bloody, wrenching, and eternally fascinating war. In this long-awaited history, John Keegan shares his original and perceptive insights into the psychology, ideology, demographics, and economics of the American Civil War. Illuminated by Keegan’s knowledge of military history he provides a fascinating look at how command and the slow evolution of its strategic logic influenced the course of the war. Above all, The American Civil War gives an intriguing account of how the scope of the conflict combined with American geography to present a uniquely complex and challenging battle space. Irresistibly written and incisive in its analysis, this is an indispensable account of America’s greatest conflict. READ an excerpt here: http://knopfdoubleday.com/book/90859/the-american-civil-war/