The experience of prisoners of war during the Civil War on both sides was pretty dismal. At the beginning of the War, neither side was even remotely prepared for the onslaught of prisoners they'd have to deal with. Prisoner exchanges occurred only sporadically throughout the War, so prison camps became an important fact of life during the Civil War. Andersonville Prison in Georgia probably had the worst conditions, and definitely had the highest death rate of the War. However, Northern prisons at places like Elmira, New York and Point Lookout, Maryland were rife with disease and known for poor care of prisoners. To be a prisoner during the Civil War was a brutal, dehumanizing experience. This book will examine 1) the life of the prisoner during the War, 2) the rise and fall of prisoner exchanges, 3) significant prison camps and 4) prison escape attempts. The book includes 28 illustrations, with 12 of them in color.