About this item
The Civil War changed America forever. It shaped its future and determined its place in history. For the first time in military history, the camera was there to record these seismic events, from innovations in military and naval warfare, to the battles themselves; from commanders at critical moments in the battle, to the ordinary soldier tentatively posing for his first ever portrait on the eve of battle. Displaying many rare images unearthed by the author, an acclaimed Civil War historian, this beautiful volume explores how the camera bore witness to the dramatic events of the Civil War. It reveals not only how the first photographers plied their trade, but also how photography helped shape the outcome of the war and how it was reported to anxious families across the North and South.
About the Author
Ron Field was born in Hertford, England in 1943 and was educated in Cheltenham, where he gained a Bachelor of Education (Hons) degree. He was Head of History at The Cotswold School at Bourton-on-the-Water until his retirement in 2007. Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1982, he taught History at Piedmont High School in California from 1982-83. He was associate editor of the Confederate Historical Society of Great Britain from 1983 through 1992, and was elected a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians, based in Washington, D.C., in 2005. In 2010 he was awarded a Research Fellowship at the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection, The John Hay Library, Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. He is also a contributing editor of Military Images, a magazine devoted to the photographic history of the U.S. soldier and sailor in the 19th century. In 2015 he advised Hollywood costume designer Louise Frogley on the Confederate uniforms, flags and equipage for the film "Free State of Jones." A prolific author, Ron is an internationally acknowledged expert on U.S. military history.
