While not of battles, this book provides an astounding amount of information based solely on letters from those who served. Their attitudes and emotions show the real people who ended up doing "the dirty work" of the war. Reid Mitchell shows how the failure of the South was not in the fighting, but in the way of life that had evolved. While not the most readable of books, it is definitely a must read. ( )

Civil War Soldiers provides an excellent overview into the beliefs and mindsets of both Northern and Confederate soldiers. I've had the privilege of taking a graduate Civil War course with Dr. Mitchell and found it to be quite engaging. This book includes excerpts and snippets from soldier's primary sources, mostly letters and journals. Mitchell follows events from the motivations for men to enlist and the initial excitement and conviction through the Emancipation Proclamation, then through to the surrender of Lee and Lincoln's assassination. The reader really gets a feel for the soldier's conflicting justifications and complex emotional reactions to battle, looting, and experiences with civilians and African Americans. ( )