The American Civil War

A fully revised and updated guide to America’s bloodiest and most divisive conflict – 165 years on.

Comprehensive and packed with contemporary paintings, photographs, maps, and important artefacts, The American Civil War explores the history, causes, and consequences of the war – with eyewitness accounts from soldiers and civilians, profiles of military leaders and other key figures, and timelines that give an overview of the changing course of the fighting.

Fully revised and updated, The American Civil War is packed with information on the course of the battle and locations of particular importance, with detailed coverage of related topics such as slavery and the treatment of wounded soldiers, providing a rich and detailed account of one of the most controversial conflicts ever fought.

In this book you will find:

• More than 500 images, including dramatic battlefield paintings and photographs, and galleries of weapons, equipment, and other artefacts
• First-hand accounts of the conflict from soldiers and civilians alike
• Fascinating biographies of important figures – from Abraham Lincoln to Jefferson Davis
• Detailed coverage of broader subjects, such as the treatment of prisoners, and what the war meant for women, American Indians, and Black Americans

Publishing in 2026, ahead of America 250 – the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA –alongside DK’s The American Revolution and The History of the USA Year by Year, this is the ultimate guide to the American civil war, which started 65 years later in 1861.