THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR begins with an in-depth view of the political, social and military organisation of pre-Civil War America. It follows the events of the war with an analysis of the military tactics used, the weaponry that was available and the generalship employed by military leaders on both sides of the conflict. While all major battles are covered, the text focuses particular attention on those battles that helped develop the rules of military engagement and tactics. From the charge of the cavalry to the early development of trench warfare and from the use of single-shot rifles to the deployment of devastating machine guns, the reader is given a unique view of the American Civil War through the eyes of the men who teach Military History at West Point.