Hyslop, Stephen G.

Thoughtfully curated and beautifully designed, this volume is sure to appeal to military history aficionados and anyone with an unadorned coffee table.

Overall, contributors cover the Civil War years richly from numerous social, political, military, and material-culture angles. But this hybrid may not fully succeed in either part of its approach: as a picture book it doesn't accessibly outline for lay readers the basics of the war's progress and people. As deeper, descriptive history, it seems to send the message that its collections are above the intellectual discourse on the war and can simply stand on their own—no cited research beyond the Smithsonian required—a very old-fashioned notion. Still, this book sure is attractive, and when getting lay readers interested in history, those good looks count for a lot!

This has more narrative text than DK's World War II: The Definitive Visual History but far less coverage of Europe in the years leading up to the war and pre-Pearl Harbor, so it's a bit meager in providing context. Likewise, it has much less less lead-up coverage than The Library of Congress Companion to World War II. Many military history buffs may enjoy it anyway. Collections possessing the other volumes should consider it optional.

Although this is a fine reference work crammed with facts on each page, it can also easily be read cover to cover. An accomplished and sensible resource for students in need of illustrations for reports and patrons looking for a general but informative historic overview of world empires.