The US civil war rifleman

School Library Journal

ea. vol: 32p. chron. glossary. index. (Soldier Through the Ages Series). Watts. Mar. 1986. PLB $10.40. Gr 6-10 The life of the foot soldier in camp and combat is attractively delineated in both titles, although The Civil War Rifleman may be of more interest to students. A general introduction to the Civil War and an exposition of the chain of command helps place the individual soldier in the context of larger units. Uniforms, homespun dress, weapons, and equipment are all presented, giving the picture of camp life in fine detail. Battle conditions and strategies, artillery, trench warfare, and medical services are covered, and repeating guns, balloon observation, and telegraphy are touched on briefly. Illustrations are profuse and well-captioned. The many large drawings are action-packed and rich in color and texture. Smaller drawings are inserted for details. The emphasis is on the Union soldier, but much applies to the Confederate also, and Windrow distinguishes between them on important points. This will be an excellent companion to C. B. Colby's Civil War Weapons (Coward, 1962). The same format is followed in The British Redcoat. . . and the execution is of equal quality. While there is not enough explication of the Napoleonic Wars to provide the necessary historic perspective for American readers, the stress on the everyday life and paraphernalia of the common soldier will still command great interest. These illustrations are also engaging. Dennis Ford, Junior Academy Library, Canadaigua, N.Y.