According to historian Stephen Sears in the introduction, this map collection is the most comprehensive one published since the 1890s. If so, it's a vital acquisition for the Civil War collection. That the originals of the 180 maps reproduced are in the hands of institutions and private collections enhances its impression of being a once-in-a-century resource. In addition to captioning the 180 images, McElfresh explains in a textual section the techniques of making military maps in the era and delivers summaries of the cartographic careers of their makers. Of course, there's Jed Hotchkiss, famous as Stonewall Jackson's topographer, but the acid aphorist Ambrose Bierce also appears in a surprise drafter's role. The maps themselves require close examination to appreciate their detail, perhaps enabling the viewer to imagine the commander debating the military value of a ford, a road, a wood, or a hill. Some are roughly drawn field maps; others are sharper prints put together in calmer post-battle circumstances. In either case, immediacy is the effect, a quality cherished by the buffs. Gilbert Taylor

McElfresh, a cartographer, a map historian, and president of the McElfresh Map Company, has assembled a remarkable corpus of Civil War-period maps and essays about them. Preliminary chapters explore the significance of mapmaking in the struggle between North and South, who actually made the maps, and how they were reproduced in sufficient quantities to be effective in the field. A final section features biographical sketches of 16 Civil War mapmakers--including George Armstrong Custer and Washington Roebling. Of the 180 illustrations contained here, 150 are in full color. This unusual resource is highly recommended for all libraries with emphases on cartography, the Civil War, or American history; libraries needing a Civil War atlas with battle summaries can still obtain American Heritage Battle Maps of the Civil War (Council Oak, 1997. reprint), which includes both period and recently produced maps.
-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Sys., Ft. Pierce, FL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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