Book excerpt: The Photographic History of the Civil War was first published in 1911 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the great conflict. Extremely popular then, it has become a rare book. Here, in five double volumes, is the complete and unabridged original edition, text and photographs carefully reproduced in the original format and full size.The thousands of photographs contained within are remarkable in their immediacy, spontaneity, and authenticity. They demonstrate the power of the camera as well as the importance of the photographer. They are a unique record of one of the greatest conflicts in the history of mankind. These pictures can be viewed as art, as history and as journalism. Covering every aspect of the war --from the front to weapons, from tactics to the wounded, from everyday life to grief, from victory to defeat—these volumes are a testament to a mighty conflict and to the great nation which emerged from it.