Confederate Infantryman 1861-65

'Confederate Infantryman 1861-1865' is an invaluable look into the daily life, appearance, and battle experiences of the infantry of the American Confederacy for the entire duration of the American Civi War. The book can be obtained pretty cheap and is a relatively short read (a mere 64 pages) but provides an excellent foundation as well as information relevant for experienced students of the Civil War. Ian Drury, the author, is an experienced military historian knowledgeable of the 19th and 20th Centuries. G A Embleton needs no introduction as one of Osprey's first and best known illustrators. The first part of the book is an introduction to the Civil War and the background and thoughts of the average infantryman early in the war. A brief chronology follows. Recruitment is the first topic dealt with, and is touched on only with relative brevity. Following this are a short section on equipment and more substantial ones on the appearance and clothing of the soldiers, and their weapons. This latter section contains a chart of the major manufacturing spots for Confederate rifles. The next sections discussed are training and tactics. The latter one is particularly rewarding, discussing how the Confederate infantry faced all sorts of situations and enemies as both skirmishers and infantry of the line. The book then looks at several typical engagements and the morale and fighting spirit of the troops. The career of an infantryman-turned Major-General, Patrick ('Pat') Ronayne Cleburne is then looked at to illustrate the experiences of the infantry of all ranks. The final division of the book is on logistics, and ends with a sobering estimate of roughly how many of the Confederate infantrymen died during their careers. Embleton's artwork is good as usual, though it suffers from his bizarre trait to show most of his characters smiling, even when in a situation in which real men would most likely be grumbling and cussing (such as marching to join the army, training, or retreating from a defeat). As with all good Civil War books, there are haunting photographs of many soldiers, both live and dead, throughout the book. Overall, this book is a fine source on the infantrymen of the South, and would be a must for reenactors, Civil War enthusiasts, and history teachers.

Osprey continues to provide some outstanding overview reference books on historic fighting men and battles, and this is probably the twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth book I've purchased from them! Color renderings and well researched details make these books indispensible for historians, toy soldier collectors, hobbyists, and anyone else with an interest in the Civil War (or WW II, or whatever period interests you!) Fast read, excellent photos, color graphic renderings - what else could you want?