"Sensible, well-written, and thoroughly grounded in the most recent scholarship, America's Civil War is the best short synthesis of the subject available." —Mark Grimsley, Ohio State University "This book is a fine achievement, and it will be invaluable not only to students but to many other readers—and even Civil War specialists will benefit from its fresh insights." —Peter J. Parish "Simpson has written a lively and interpretive history of the US Civil War. Based on a mastery of the secondary literature, Simpson's narrative weaves the political, military, and social history of this significant period." (CHOICE, September 1996) "This work finally condenses the story of the War to a manageable size for the beginner and student alike. ...Written in a clear, concise manner, this book belongs on the book shelves of any collector of writings on the Civil War." (The Cincinnati Civil War Round Table, November 1996) "Students looking for a condensed, clear, and evenhanded summary of a particular campaign would do well to consult this volume. ...America's Civil War will be a useful supplemental reading in survey courses and a solid short text for courses on the war itself. Occupying an important niche between the single-chapter accounts of the American history textbooks and much longer single-volume treatments...Simpson's book admirably fulfills the goals of the American History Series." (Civil War History, June 1997)