"The American Civil War was one of the most significant conflicts of the nineteenth century. Many books have been written about it, but never before has such a comprehensive narrative account been told by those who witnessed events. The [London] Times reports were filed by the paper's correspondents---Antonio Gallenga, Francis Lawley, Charles Mackay and W. H. Russell---whose preconceptions and prejudices are clarified in Dr. Beckett's wide-ranging and scholarly introduction. The reports themselves are linked by a commentary that serves to place them in context, embracing not only the battles and campaigns but also the social and political background to the conflict. A further dimension is added by the inclusion of over sixty illustrations, many of them previously unpublished contemporary photographs, and maps showing the eastern and western theatres of war." --provided by Goodreads.