Not just going over the specific battles, Cobb also gives an overview of the conflict, the reasons for fighting and the leaders who led the troops. It is important to know this, and it is a nice touch rather than just putting the reader in a battle with maps and strategies, without knowing the full background.

      What makes this a great introduction for the new or casual historian are the special features included in the text. Cobb includes bits of history to help understand the strategies for battle and the weapons and living conditions of the soldiers and citizens. For instance, in the section covering the Mexican War, Cobb lists the many "firsts" that came out of the conflict: "the first offensive war the United States had ever fought...battles at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma were the first U.S. Army military operations to be reported by the recently developed telegraph...U.S. army surgeons introduced ether as an anesthetic...combat photography made its first appearance...Samuel Colt's new revolver" was a big hit, etc.

      Another item during the Civil War tells the story of "Taps", how what was originally a "lights out" tune called "Butterfield's Lullaby" became the primary song associated with loss, and is sounded at funerals and ceremonies honoring war dead.

      The main reason for buying American Battlefields is where it may be lagging. The maps and pictures are many, but not as abundant as a book about battlefields should be to many historians. Maps give a better understanding to the numbers of soldiers, terrain and locations, the leaders on both sides and especially the strategies. Cobb's maps seem detailed, but really don't offer the necessary inclusion of terrain. For example, the maps for the Battle of Fredericksburg in the Civil War don't show how the Federals were mowed down while the Confederates poured fire down from the high ground of Marye's Heights. Unless you've been there, you wouldn't know that the hill is steep and a perfect location to prevent too many casualties as the Feds were making what was essentially a suicide run as at Cold Harbor, Virginia, two years later.

From Amazon.com:

      A wonderful guide to battles fought in the United States, American Battlefields spans two centuries of history. It hits all the high points, from Yorktown to Gettysburg, and provides helpful overviews of what happened at each location. Tourists will find valuable information on these pages, and this is a good guide for planning trips as well as taking along as a travel companion. Although the bulk of the book is devoted to the Civil War, a major strength of American Battlefields is that it doesn't ignore some of the less-famous conflicts, such as the French and Indian Wars, the War of 1812, and the War with Mexico. The American Revolution, the Alamo, the Wars with Native Americans, and Pearl Harbor also get their due. Two-color maps provide helpful reference points throughout.