Developed from the television program Civil War Journal, these accounts of the Civil War focus on personal letters, diaries, and newspaper reports to bring seldom-told stories to life Cable TV's History Channel produced the marvelous 130-episode Civil War Journal. Now we have the first of a three-volume series compiling the best features of that show. (The second volume, The Battles, will be published in October.) In this first volume, historians Davis and Brian C. Pohanka (both consultants to the series) and artist Don Troiani, assisted by more than a dozen contributors, have created a stunning visual history of 16 men who played significant roles in the American Civil War. From all the famous and infamous leaders of that conflict, the editors have selected seven Federals (e.g., McClellan, Grant, Hancock), seven Confederates (e.g., Davis, Jackson, Lee), and two civilians (John Brown and Frederick Douglass). The penetrating biographies, balanced and candid, focus on the personal and professional lives of these men and how they earned their place in the war's history. This high-quality product is strongly recommended for American history collections.?Col. William D. Bushnell, USMC (ret.), Brunswick, Me. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.