Robert Reilly has done it again, with another excellent work on United States primary and secondary flintlock firearms. From imported and contract pieces to "hammered together" guns, Reilly covers practically every known U.S. military fire-lock. There are plenty of excellent line drawings and text with each item. There are also a number of oddities, like blunderbuss "dags" and guns made for trade overseas. Museum curators, collectors and dealers should keep this handy since there is so much mis-information out there on the subject. My copy was recently stolen, but I have no qualms about replacing it, the book is that useful.

I've read and re-read Elisha Hunt Rhodes' memoirs of the Civil War many times now, and always find additional nuances and new perspectives on every visit.

The drama and horror of the Civil War become even more vivid and personal as you read Rhodes' simple, yet expressive prose. But even more than a story of this war, "All for the Union" is a story of a young man's coming of age. Elisha joined the Union Army in 1861 with utterly no military experience whatsoever. Yet, he fought in every major campaign of the Army of the Potomac, rose to command his regiment--and somehow survived. Almost incredibly, Elisha was always around to report on the historic events of this tragic conflict as the Union Army of the Potomac engaged in its four-year death struggle with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. There is humor, hardship, politics, adventure, and great courage detailed in these pages, which makes this a compulsive page-turner even for non-Civil War buffs.

The book includes some fine photographs, although some detailed maps of the Army of the Potomac's theater of operations would have been nice.

Highly recommended.

An interesting, informative book.

This is an account of one man's participation in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Elisha Hunt Rhodes joined the Rhode Island Volunteers in 1861 as a private and left as a colonel in 1865; having earned the respect of not only his peers but his superiors as well. The book is a diary (plus a few letters) he kept during his army life: it includes daily to weekly accounts of the people and places he got to know and see, plus the battles with which he was involved.

The diary is well written (better than you'd expect from a 19-year-old in 1861). There are accounts of the marches that covered seemly unbelievable distances: wearing the men in to a state of complete exhaustion. (And often, after reaching their destination, would have to march back to where they started) There are tales of deprivation, hunger, prolonged stress, boredom and even some humorous moments as well. The descriptions of some of the carnage is told in a rather detached, matter of fact manner, (probably understandable, given the circumstances) even though he was in the midst of several of these bloody scenes and lost countless friends and colleagues.

The diary was recorded chronologically and with dates: also included, is an excellent map of the area. The map even outlines the marches that the 2nd R. I. Volunteers participated in during their 4 years at war. This is a wonderful addition to this book that not only makes following the events easy but also makes you appreciate the distance that these armies traveled, mostly on foot.

All in all, an interesting, personal account of the American Civil War: one that gives new insights into an era of history that has significantly shaped the United States into the country that we know today. Highly recommended!

All For The Union really mad you feel as if you were connecting with the Civil War in a whole new way You experienced it instead of just reading about it. All For The Union added a personal touch to the history of the Civil War, you felt as if you were there living the drama.