A tour of the Civil War in the western theater of operations as seen through its relics. A well done book and an interesting concept. In some cases they were limited to a partical branch of service. One of those books that is so well done it leaves you wanting more. Good studies of medicial equipment and instruments with additional material on uniforms, insignia, etc.
Insignia remain a neglected area within the field of Civil War artifacts.
The story of those who originally made and marketed military items is key to a sophisticated appreciation of the history of the items themselves. A nice piece of original research regarding a leading firm of the Civil War years. A nice overview of all American swords. The book is easier to use than Peterson and the illustrations show the entire blade. Many authors take a basically macroscopic visual approach suited for the military modeler or illustrator.