Smithsonian's Great Battles and Battlefields of the Civil War is an authoritative history of the war and a practical guide to the places it was waged - including sites abroad and in the Far West that other books overlook.

Organized by state and cross-referenced chronologically so that readers can follow the different campaigns, the book explains the particular strategies behind troop movements and gives travel information for each battlefield, as well as for landmarks, historic buildings, and newly discovered and developing sites open to the public today.

For the armchair historian or the avid sightseer, here are the stunning dramas that unfolded on the battlefields, with historical maps, photographs, and illustrations that bring the scenes to life.