National Geographic Guide to Civil War National Battlefield Parks
The best travel guide to Civil War sites, this full-color book provides helpful overviews of what happened at key battlefields. It is not comprehensive, but roughly two dozen major spots have full descriptions. (No, they didn't forget to include Antietam--but don't expect to find anything on lesser-known attractions such as Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida.) Perhaps most useful is the practical information for people planning trips: directions to each battlefield, park hours, entrance fees, phone numbers, brief notes on what to expect, and lists of nearby historic inns. This book's compact size makes it an ideal traveling companion, even if you're planning to visit only one site and have limited trunk space. And the photos are typically beautiful--exactly what you would expect fromNational Geographic.