Book Review: The Civil War: Early Battles

The Civil War: Early Battles, by Jim Ollhoff, ABDO Publishing, North Mankato, MN, 2012.

This is a children’s book take of the beginning of the Civil War. Most of the photographs are of reenactors.  It gives a good brief essay of Robert E. Lee, and the reason he fought with the Confederacy rather than the Union.  The battles it explores are First Bull Run, Shiloh and Antietam.  It also talks about the Anocanda plan, which was proposed by Winfield Scott, and was the basic plan of operation for the Union after it became obvious there would be no quick victory. 

After Antietam, Abraham Lincoln released the emancipation proclamation which he had previously written, and which went into effect January 1, 1863.  With this move the purpose of the war for the North went from “preserve the Union” to also include “freedom of the slaves.”