Product Description
A must for any Civil War library.Recounts the stories of thirteen of some of the most important battles of the war, from First Manassas in July 1861 to the Battle of Nashville in 1864.Full-color double-page maps show the reader each move of the opposing forces.No effort has been spared to include rare war era photographs and color photos of rare artifacts.Engagingly written by William C. Davis, the author of more than thirty books on the American Civil War.Writes professor James M. McPherson, "The most readable, authoritative, and beautifully designed illustrated history of the American Civil War."Also in the series: Commanders and Fighting Men. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful pictures...very bad text!
I bought this collection couple years ago, the Don Troiani's art cover is very attractive and the book is full of nice pictures and maps that is why he deserves one star but the text is a joke, or a "junk". The author William Davis has an ironic style and zero knowledge of the civil war facts. All the CSA generals are stupid for him and he has no respect at all for the great south military leaders of the War Between the States. The author is very racist and, for example, calls the General P.G.T. Beauregard the "Creole" all the time and uses this expression: "... a child could take Fort Sumter..." I never read so stupid words in a historic book... Don't waste your money on this want to be "civil war collection".

Much More Than Just A Book of Civil War Maps
Here, the authors give us through a lively narrative an eminently digestible summary of the very essence of the thirteen main battles of the Civil War. They note that in the span of four years (1861-1865) more than 10,000 military engagements took place. It was these battles, skirmishes, raids and sieges that President Abraham Lincoln immortalized in his famous but short speech dedicated to them at Gettysburg.

Having beat them at Fort Sumner, the South considered itself morally, physically and spiritually superior to the North, and in any, case figured that the North would not have the stomach for a long drawn out battle. The North on the other hand considered the South succession the supreme insult to the stars and stripes and came forward as volunteers in large numbers and with great resolution to redress the insult.They considered the rebels as blustering clowns that needed a "comeuppance," and that they were the one to see that they got it.

Well, as the war progress, neither of these images were to hold true. There was bravery and cowardice on all sides, and in the end, even though the North won the fighting war, what the South valued more than the war, was maintaining the racist social status quo, where White Supremacy ruled supreme. Judging by how short-lived the Reconstruction was, and by the compromise that got Rutherford B. Hayes elected and thus ended Reconstruction and began the Southern Redemption, it is still debatable as to which side actually one the hearts and minds of the new unified nation.

In any case, in addition to its crisp and lively storytelling, there is a lot more to the book than just the wonderful summaries of the main battles and the associated political analysis and commentary. There are inserts, sidebars, footnotes, a glossary of the battles, and highlighted introductions to each chapter.

Being a Virginian and living literally on and around some of the most sacred and hallowed grounds of these main battlefields, I found the large militarily annotated maps contained in the book an invaluable guide to following the progression of the war from battle front to battle front: from Lincoln's issuance of a call for 75,000 volunteers "to put down the rebellion," to First Manassas in July 1861 all through Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North and South Carolina, to Nashville Tennessee in 1864.

But equally important is the fact that I also found it invaluable in divining the strategies and tactics of the generals on either side of the conflict. The annotated battlefield maps bring the strategies and tactics alive in a way that puts the reader in the decision cycle of the field commander's mind themselves. That alone is a very sobering experience and is all by itself worth the price of the book. There are also bonuses for Civil war buffs, that include many haunting candid photos of war weary soldiers and the paraphernalia of the war, and not to be forgotten is the large amount of trivia and folklore that rounds out a more complete picture of the war and of Civil War history. Altogether, it is a "one stop shopping Civil War book," that makes it a "must have." I could not have been more pleased. Five Stars

Excellent
This is an excellent book, full of illustrations, rare pictures and excellent profiles of thirteen of the most important battles during the Civil War.I would recommend this book to Civil War buffs. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This reference tutorial provides the end user with a solutions-based approach to prepress, multimedia and Internet design with the integrated programs that are FreeHand Graphic Studio. This book addresses questions inherent in the multi-program application. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great for Fontographer, two versions old for Freehand
I bought this for use with Freehand Graphics Studio 7, especially Freehand and Fontographer. I soon discovered it's based on an earlier version of FHGS, version 5 (I think).

This book appears to cover Freehand Version5, not 7, but it does cover Fontographer version 4.1. I cannot say whichversions of Xres or E3D it covers, I did not use these programs or the bookfor them.The downside of it covering FH5 (not FH7 or FH8) can be overcomeby many other Freehand books; there are very few for Fontographer, no other3rd party books that I'm aware of. Even so, there is much useful contentfor Freehand.

The book is great, it's full of graphics and helpful hints,and the CD is full of helpful hints and Xtras. Well delivered, shorthelpful examples.

If it were for FH7, I'd give it 5 stars.

Freehand Graphics Studio is a must have!
This book is a must have for any serious graphic artist/freehand user. It covers everything I wanted to know about the Freehand Graphic Studio Suite. Before this book I did not understand the full range of solutions this bundle could be used for ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"The rule of the day was that there were no strict rules of procedure. What was policy was simply whatever means succeeded ."

There is virtually no end to the books that have been published on the Civil War.
This is a very large book,10 1/2 X 13 1/2 incheswith 256 pages. When first seeing it, one might be tempted to write it off as just another glossy coffee table book. That would be a big mistake. This is one of 3 books in the Rebels & Yankees Series,by two who have great knowledge,involvement and experience andwho have done much consulting work on TV,Films,Museums and other historical efforts on the Civil War.
When I first thumbed through the book, I was immediately impressed by the artwork on the cover and drawings of men and officers in military dress. These are actually more than just drawings; they are full page works of supurb art and detail. The book is loaded with some of the best photographs taken during the war which are used to explain much that is glossed over in Civil War mooks ;that tend to concentrate on the battles. Then we are also given dozens of excellent photographic plates showing, as well as explaining,the uniforms,equipment,pistols and swords that were actually the ones used by the well known as well as those not so well known. These photographs were made from artifacts now held in the best museums in the country.
Not only is the artwork and photography outstanding; the text throughoutextremely informative;but it also covers a lot that is not usually found in history books.
The book does a teriffic job of showing how in 1861,there were a relatively few militarily trained, organized or equipped men in the the country and how the great armies were put together in such a short time. The book deals mainly on how the officers were created and how and why some were successful as well as why those who were not,got into the positions they held. Personally,I've often wondered how come some of the great Generals were only in their twenties. After reading this book,I have a much better understanding. Another thing that often made me wonder was the variety of both weapons and uniforms;which is well explained. Another thing that intrigued me was the ever present image of the fancy swords carried by all the officers.The role of those is also explained.
There is still one thing that I still wonder about is the gold boxed epaulettes that appear in every photograph of officer's uniforms and equipment. In all the actual photogrphs as well as the portraitsthe epaullettes almost never appear.They seem to have been used on only 'dress" or very formal occassions. For instance the portraits of Grant and Sherman on page 172, or Lee on page 195 don't have them .That being said,they do appear once in a while as we see on page 10; or at the Cavalry School of Practice on page 220.
The book is of excellent construction with fine paper,printing,color rendition and binding. The hard cover even has a glossy surface identical to the dust jacket. It is hard to imagine anyone with an interest in the Civil War who would not be impressed with the effort that went into this book and the results achieve.

Well Done!
Davis and Pritchard have created a wonderful work that is sure to become a hit with anyone who studies the Civil War. This book uses words and a generous amount of pictures to tell the story of the leaders, both talented and flawed that held together the two struggling armies in a time of chaos and devastating loss. Although many of the stories have been told in one form or another, "Commanders..." compiles this study in a single book that makes it very easy to compare and contrast the styles and techniques employed by officers of both armies. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to others. I look forward to reading the next book in the 'Rebels and Yankees' series. ... Read more

Product Description
This issue of "Startling Stories" is a special one to us in many ways. Not only does it feature classic Golden Age Science Fiction such as "Empire" by Clifford D. Simak and "The Devil's Asteroid" by Manly Wade Wellman, but also new fiction by our very talented writers: "The Demon of Blackwater Swamp" by Russ Parkhurst with art by David Burton, "Last Lord of the Three Lands" by K.G. McAbee with art by Gary McCluskey, "A Scroll of Strange Device" by Gerald W. Page and Jerry L. Burge, "What Wizardry May Come" and "Bugs Begone!" both by S. Clayton Rhodes, and the regular "Saucy Blaine" comic by Ron Wilber. It also offers a Special Tribute to a very important man who passed away while we were in the middle of production. I'm speaking, of course, of Frank Frazetta, probably one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century. His loss hit many of us hard, and I want to thank the talented writers and artists who took the time out of their busy schedules to produce something especially for this issue. And in honor of another great artist who passed away soon after, we are proud to present a Golden Age comic reprint by the late and great Al Williamson. All of us here at Wild Cat Books are doing what we do because of their influences that left lasting impressions on us as we were growing up. We hope you enjoy this Special Issue, and my thanks go out to William L. Carney who worked diligently to bring this fine issue into your hands... We'll miss you, Frank and Al, but your work and inspiration will live forever... May you both rest in peace! ... Read more

Product Description
Combining thousands of hours of taped interviews with abductees with an overview of the aliens in world mythology and culture, The Abduction Enigma reveals the full story behind the chilling testimonies. Includes: scars, implants and the theft of unborn children, the truth about hypnosis and recovered memories, the parallels between pop culture and abduction phenomena. The startling sexual motivation behind many of todays abductions, the pieces of the alien puzzle are finally falling into place. And the truth is much more complex and much more incredible than anyone suspected. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

A Biased Book
Several months ago, I managed to obtain Kevin Randle's "The Abduction Enigma" at a local used bookstore and read it thoroughly. My thoughts on it are quite upsetting yet few data are interesting.

There are couple of things to point out here. I was able to finish reading Karla Turner's works, such as Masquerade of Angels, Into the Fringe, and Taken: Inside the Alien-Human Abduction Agenda. Knowing that Turner was one of the individuals was taken apart by Randle et al in this "The Abduction Enigma," I went to search where she was mentioned and I have noticed how she was 'taken apart.' Randle has used Karla's dreams from her book "Into the Fringe" to support his theory that her alien abduction was only a 'dream.'

From reading Karla's "Into the Fringe," I do not think that she wanted to believe in alien abductions. However, Randle seems to have implied that she (as well many other alien abductees) does believe in alien abductions when the 'dreams' started. Randle was stressing that alien abductions are only dreams and nothing more. I am not certain if Randle is aware of a possible theory called 'soul abductions' which might be relating to 'dream' experiences. Physical abductions are really rare, but soul abductions are known to be common. This "soul abduction" goes into detail in Laura Knight-Jadczyk's The High Strangeness of Dimensions, Densities and the Process of Alien Abduction.

Secondly, Randle pointed out that half of all alien abductees are homosexuals. It is an interesting theory, but his research did not reveal more details. I was looking at a specific part in the book where Randle has discussed homosexuality and there was no list of questions was being used for interviews that Randle, et al has conducted. But, I think he should have included a sort of questionnaire in order for us as readers to understand what was being asked.

Thirdly, a certain part from this book (p. 99-101) made me a bit uneasy where he may be implying that the 'evidence' would lead to common human problems, not alien problems. If the evidence pointed out that it is a human problem, would the individuals be ignored as alien abductees? And, he also said that 90% of the abductees seemed to have 'sexual dysfunction.' Would he have ignored those 90% as evidence of alien abductions if the individuals were 'discovered' to have some sort of 'sexual dysfunction'? What I mean to say is that if the abductees were discovered to be homosexuals or having some kind of 'sexual dysfunctions,' would he ignored them as real alien abductions and labeled them under "psychological problems?"

And, while reading Karla's "Into the Fringe" and I came across a section in her book where Budd Hopkins and Turner discussed alien interests in human sexuality. I am somewhat surprised that Randle did not include it or discussed about it in his 'study' of homosexual issue in his book.

What made me uneasy most of all about "The Abduction Enigma" is the fact that Randle et al have 'tear apart' the very people who have asked the same questions as they did, except theirs were considered to be 'new' questions. In my opinion, this book is considered to be biased.

These guys must have been bought off!
There is voluminous evidence, much of it from government files retrieved through the Freedom of Information Act, which makes it quite certain that we are, and likely have been for a very considerable time, being visited by one or more types of beings from places unknown.

To think that these 'visitors' are benign just because they are obviously vastly superior technologically is ludicrous.One thing that is probaly true is that they have their own agenda, and this is NOT necessarily to the benefit of the human race, but to theirs.

The idea proposed by the authors that most researchers have been using leading and suggestive statements or questions in their examinations of those who claim abduction is simply not the case.Quite often, the subject of abduction experience only comes up when someone is in therapy for vague fears and unusual feelings and seeks such therapy to discover the cause of it.

I find the way that most of the material is presented by the authors does not represent open enquiry, but a presumed outcome which they attempt to twist the facts around to make a fit.

"unbiased investigators"?
Seems the whole purpose of this book is clearly stated in the first paragraph of the conclusion.

"Here's what it all comes down to. There is not a single shred of evidence that alien abductions are taking place other than the tainted testimony of the abductees. The physical evidence to support the claims is nonexistent. What has been offered as proof has been eliminated through testing by objective scientists or additional research by unbiased investigators."

Really?

debunker duty work
Kevin Randle was a Pro-Ufo writer 15 years ago when he wrote
not 1 but 2 excellent and believable books on the Roswell Incident with co-writer Donald Schmidt.
At those time for him the Roswell Incident was totally real and alien.
Then for some unknown reason he started a debunking campaign against everything he could debunk (even the cases he supported before!) and the aliens no longer existed, furthermore he clearly thought that readers are nothing more than a bunch of idiots whose mind can be set as he wished.
This man (along with many other official debunkers in history, unfortunately) does very bad to the real and sincere Ufo Study, a study that, thanks to these obscure figures, after nearly 60 years has succeeded in leaving the mind of the everyday people totally unaware of the phenomenon and with the big question of the beginning still present:
"But, after all, are Ufos real or not ?" (!!!).
Read some Jacques Vallee, John Keel, Richard L.Thompson, Patrick Harpur, Richard Haynes, Donald Keyhoe for Real Studies and on the Abduction field stay on John Mack that was not the usual moron easily discredited but a REAL prominent Psychiatrist with decades in the medical field, including hypnosis.
And remember, when analysing Ufo phenomenon at the end use your own mind not the debunker's one!

Not perfect, but very important
Since Randle is one of the leading proponents of the view that the Roswell incident may have indeed been the crash of an alien craft, he can hardly be accused of being a debunker.That being said, this book does present a very harsh and dismissive -- BUT EXTREMELY VALUABLE -- perspective on the "alien abduction" phenomenon.The core phenomenon (as represented by cases such as Villa-Boas, the Hills, Travis Walton and the Allagash Four) has become buried beneath so many layers of psychobabble and silliness that I had the feeling the authors were intentionally being overly harsh and dismissive in an effort to restore some semblance of balance.There is quite a bit of overlap and repetition from chapter to chapter; I feel certain that each of the chapters was written by one of the three authors and that the final product perhaps wasn't edited as carefully as it might have been.Nevertheless, the book is extremely valuable as a warning against the dangers of hypnotically recovered "memories" and researcher contamination.The authors effectively analogize the abductee phenomenon to the bogus Satanic Ritual Abuse phenomenon, which likewise relies almost entirely on hypnotically recovered "memories."The chapter on abductee "support groups" should be required reading for everyone involved in any type of "experiencer" group.The authors absolutely hit the nail on the head with their analysis of the dynamics and pitfalls of these dangerous groups, where the "support" is of a perverted type that only exacerbates the attendees' problems and fosters an unhealthy dependency on the group.Whatever flaws this book may have, it is highly readable, serves as an important counterbalance to the "abductee" fluff that dominates the market, and effectively makes its key points.(I'm not a debunker either.I've studied UFOs for nearly 40 years and had a close-up disc sighting myself -- but I'd bet everything I own that these authors' perspective on the abduction phenomenon is far more accurate than that of Budd Hopkins, David Jacobs, Whitley Streiber, et al.) ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text. ... Read more

Product Description
Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text. ... Read more

Product Description
Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text. ... Read more