This book seems to be part of a set for younger readers, say around ten to twelve. Good for what it is but not as comprehensive as I would have liked.

This book was excellant for a report I did on Jefferson. It is a pretty simple biography, easy to read. It gives basic information on Jefferson, but is not extremely in depth. Still,it was informative and worth reading.

Originally, this book was titled "The Blue and the Gray" and was fine as it was. Apparently, to sound more impressive and authoritative, the editors decided to call it "The Civil War Archive: The History of the American Civil War in Documents". This title is extremely misleading. Over 800 pages long, anyone who approaches it would think it is a reference book that the reader could go to and examine the complete speeches and documents that had so much of an influence on the war. Unfortunately, the editors have taken bits and pieces out, apparently for readability. In the case of the Emancipation Proclamation, the parts taken out completely change the character and meaning of the original. The Confederate Constitution is full of holes. There are other examples as well. The objectivity of the original documents is lost as the reader is dependent on what the editor feels is important.
To be sure, there are good parts in the book, but they are the first person accounts that were in the original. If it is read for that, then the book has value, but if reliance is made upon the documents contained...other sources must be referenced.