Civil War Weapons and Equipment

The American Civil War remains the country's national epic, having changed the fledgling "Union" into the "United States." The scars of that devastating internecine conflict of almost a century and a half ago have long since disappeared, but there remains a seemingly insatiable desire to learn more of the circumstances and the detail of the war. This beautifully illustrated book provides that detail in respect of the weapons, uniforms and equipment of the war - from the infantryman's simple rifle-and-bayonet through a plethora of officers' swords and sabers and pistols and revolvers, to the mighty artillery pieces, as well as the shirts, the shoes, the frock coats and the headgear of the officers and enlisted men.Along the way, it examines some remarkable "firsts" - such as the first military use of submarines, sea-mines, multi-barrel guns, repeating rifles and carbines - as well as how the weapons were procured (for instance, the South's dependence on imported weapons because of its manufacturing shortcomings, and the North's attempts to blockade the supplies), and how they were used in the hands of soldiers and sailors who varied from ill-prepared youths to experienced hunters.