The Conservation Fund's title "The Civil War Battlefield Guide" in my opinion is an invaluable tool for understanding the flow and troop dispositions of several Civil War battles.

In all, there are maps and troop movements for around 60 Civil War engagements and range from smaller battles such as Cloyd's Mountain to major engagements like Gettysburg. Another important feature of the book is the inclusion of modern-day roads included in the maps so the reader and battlefield visitor can better understand where the battle was fought in relation to where he/she may be standing at the time (assuming, of course, that the reader is on the battlefield at the time).

My only real complaint is that some bloody battles (Franklin, Nashville, etc.) were left out. However, the book does an overall good job of including most of the major engagements.

An excellent read and valuable battlefield tour aid. Read and enjoy! Recommended.

This is one of the best books to have to study the civil war locations, and tour the battles. It has superb topographical maps of the battle area's.

It also has more information on the battles and different topic's on the civil war.

I have never been to any of the battles back east, since I have lived in the Midwest and Arizona, so I wish the book had more pictures of the area's then and now. I have talked to a few people and it is sad that we are losing some of these battlefields to land development

I do not live near many of the major battlefield sites, and I have never had this guide in my possession when visiting any battlefields so I cannot comment on its "real-time" usefulness, but I can say that having this guide has been quite valuable in personal study. The maps cleverly overlay the North/South troop placements and movements on modern topographic renderings that include today's highways and other developments. So, before or after a live visit to a particular battlefield, these maps will help you to place the precise historic details in the context of, say, the visitor's center or other modern landmarks (like roads) that can be recognized. I have also found the narrative descriptions to be both brief and comprehensive enough to supplement my readings for particular battles. For instance, I am reading Cozzen's difficult study now about Chickamauga. Having this guide at hand, I can refresh myself on the overview of the battle, and thus better absorb and enjoy the expert details of the book that I'm reading. The chronological order of the battles also provides a great overview of the entire war at a glance (in case, for example, you're not sure how the two Bull Run battles fit together, or how Chickamauga relates to Chattanooga, or how either of these relates to Gettysburg or Vickburg). Lastly, this is just a great book for browsing if you are interested in the Civil War.

I bought this book because i was working for a battlefield in the Park Service this summer and I had some free time to see other Battle fields in the surrounding areas: Richmond, Cold Harbor, Fredericksburg, Antietam, Harper's Ferry, Malverin Hill. And this book is just what I needed, because sometimes the best thing is just a concise history to understand with great detailing maps for comprehension and this has it. I value mine on a Civil War Battlefield trips

I took a group of college students on a "civil wargasm" last spring---to Gettysburg, Antietam, and dozens of sites in Virginia. We took a parcel of books and maps. This is the one we referred to more than any other. By laying out the battle over a modern map, this guide makes it easier to understand what happened where, and definitely enhances a visit to any site, large or small. It is especially useful for stops at battle sites that are only commemorated by historical markers, and for sites that have nearly disappeared under freeways and housing developments. If you plan to visit Civil War sites anywhere, this is the first book you should buy.