These broad introductions are divided into two- to four-page chapters that summarize standard topics such as slavery and sectionalism, causes of the war, military strategies, important battles and turning points, and weapons and technology. Most also include brief profiles of Union and Confederate military and civilian leaders. Ollhoff writes clearly and objectively. . . . The strongest aspect of the series is the outstanding illustrative material, which uses a combination of large, often full-page reproductions of period illustrations and photographs, modern photos of locations, artifacts and living history reenactments, and colorful battle maps, all captioned.