Civil War Firsts

The Civil War was an era of unparalleled innovation. From armored battleships and hot air balloons to photography and medical care, the period between 1861 and 1865 saw a great transition in the way the world fought, recorded, and survived war. It wrought change in the lives of individuals as well, transforming society unlike any other single event in American history. Authors Gerald S. Henig and Eric Niderost trace these changes and explore the legacies of America's bloodiest conflict in this thought provoking study.

Gerald Henig is a professor of history at California State University, Hayward. He is the author of Henry Winter Davis: Antebellum and Civil War Congressman from Maryland, and various articles on the political and military history of the Civil War. Eric Niderost is instructor of history at Chabot College in Hayward, California. A freelance author, he has published nearly 300 articles on American and European history.