The Civil War was the most traumatic event in American history, pitting Americans against one another, rending the national fabric, leaving death and devastation in its wake, and instilling an anger that has not entirely dissipated even to this day. Thus, it is essential to have a resource that can inform about this terrible war clearly and objectively, providing the indispensable details while also offering an overall view. This nearly impossible task has been attempted frequently but rarely accomplished as well as by the Historical Dictionary of the Civil War, which now appears as a somewhat abbreviated A to Z of the Civil War. An overview of the war is provided in the fairly extensive introduction, covering the causes, the course of the war, and the conclusion. It is then followed_sometimes almost day-by-day-in the chronology. Hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries, taking up over 1,500 pages, fill in the basic details on persons, places, events, institutions, battles, and campaigns. The bibliography directs readers to other sources of information.