Pictorial History of the War for the Union, Volume 1, is an indispensable read for any Civil War buff. Written during the Civil War, Ann Stephens had no concept of the war's conclusion or how long it would last. An ardent unionist, she writes a war history of the kind no longer in fashion - extirpating on the glories of battle and the valor of patriotic sacrifice. In our post-Red Badge of Courage world, this type of writing seems strange. In extreme detail, she recounts both the famous battles of the early war, as well as skirmishes forgotten today. The end of the text includes an excellent and helpful chronology putting major events of the Civil War in order. (Summary by Tatiana Chichilla)