The first military conflict to use iron-clad gunboats; metallic cartridges; and submarines; the Civil War also introduced such inventions as the telegraph and military balloon; utilized by the Signal Corps. This comprehensive reference brings a fresh perspective to wartime victories and defeats; with vivid descriptions of how the war was fought and what material was available to armies and navies of the Union and the Confederacy.Profusely illustrated with hundreds of the author's own drawings; Jack Coggins's remarkable encyclopedia of military hardware and technology also describes such equipment as pontoon bridges; corduroy roads; "excelsior" percussion grenades; "freak guns;" siege artillery; mines; and submarine torpedoes. Offering a new view on how military resources decided the outcome not only of battles; but of the war as well; the text also includes on-the-scene comments by Union and Confederate soldiers about equipment and camp life in general.A must-have book for every Civil War enthusiast and for readers interested in the development of weaponry.
#900666 in Books 1988-02-01 1988-02-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.48 x .82 x 5.41l; .93 #File Name: 0486255654416 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Good referenceBy hortusMy second copy. The only reason I am not giving it a five star rating is because a few historical details in the book have since been proven in a different light. George F. Dow was a pioneer in this type of historical work and laid the ground work for those coming after him.30 of 30 people found the following review helpful. Just the factsBy dinskaThis is a densely packed little book. I was very glad to come across it; personally. I am rather tired with every book I pick up about the Puritans being a psychological deconstruction. This straight-forward book; instead; is full of facts; personal accounts; item inventories; drawings and diagrams that are extremely helpful in getting a picture of how these people lived; centuries ago.This is an old book; first published in 1935; but it doesn't make it any less relevant today. Every area of life is considered; from the voyage to New England down to sports and games. Many documents are presented without any commentary at all; and you can come to your own conclusions.The illustrations are many and are helpful alongside the text to bring these people to life.Whether you're a student of history or a genealogist; if you're interested in this era at all there is no reason not to own this book. Some people think that the Masschusetts Bay Colony gets little attention compared to Plymouth and Virginia. Whether that's true or not; Everyday Life will give you instant insight into the colony and the colonists personal lives.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Eclectic FunBy Gordon AdamsThis book is not a coherent narrative. Each chapter covers a different topic; some of which are quite interesting (the chapter on housing; for example). Others; however; consist of nothing but long lists which represent inventories or catalogs; including such items as fabric types and medical remedies. These can be MANY pages in length; and should be considered more in the way of source material than analysis or narrative.As a result what's here is a mixture of highly enjoyable and tedium. If you're researching early fabric types or medical remedies; the lists might be just what you need. If not; you'll find yourself skipping a lot of pages. I'm not planning on getting rid of the book; but it's much more of a research tool than anything else.
