In this illustrated account of the bloodiest war fought on American  soil, civil war expert Brooks Simpson recounts the events of the war  from the opening salvo at Fort Sumter through the battlefields of  Gettysburg and Shiloh to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court  House. This gripping retelling brings to life the realities of the war and the people who lived through it. It explains how the politics around slavery led to an unbridgeable divide between North and South and examines the strategies that led to the Union's eventual victory in 1865. Featuring photographs, feature spreads and profiles of key generals and strategists, this book provides an accessible and fascinating account of this tragic conflict.