RIC BURNS

The American Civil War was the largest war of the 19th century - the bloodiest and the most prolonged - and it marked a crossroads in American history. Three million men fought in it and over 600,000 died. This book includes a narrative history of the war, essays on various aspects of the war and extracts from contemporary diaries, letters and newspapers which help to evoke the times, events and people of this period in history.

This companion to a PBS television series presents four centuries of urban history in a sweeping narrative that highlights the many personalities and many forces that shaped New York. The city is seen as a powerful metropolis and industrial center as well as a series of neighborhoods with people from all socio-economic levels. Ric Burns and his fellow authors use primary source material and a rich assortment of visual materials, supplemented by interviews and essays by historians and critics.