October 3, 2011 “Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War” Is Published

To mark the sesquicentennial of the bloodiest conflict on American soil, the nation’s library, in collaboration with Little, Brown and Company, has published “The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War” by Margaret E. Wagner, with an introduction by historian Gary W. Gallagher.

Drawn from rare source material in the unparalleled Civil War collections of the world’s largest library, “The Library of Congress Illustrated Timeline of the Civil War” is an authoritative and engaging chronological narrative of the conflict that raged across the United States from 1861-1865. Quotes from figures—both well-known and unsung—provide testaments to the war’s broad scope and complexity, and to the determination and valor that characterized the people on both sides of the conflict.

Among its panoply of illustrations—including some materials rarely seen and never- before published—readers will encounter manuscripts in Lincoln’s own hand, onsite drawings made by a Civil War combat artist, maps, color lithographs, political cartoons, posters, period photographs, and much more. Illustrations and text together reveal dimensions of this pivotal conflict not covered in standard Civil War histories.

Margaret E. Wagner, a senior writer and editor in the Publishing Office, is the co-author and co-editor of “The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference” and “The Library of Congress World War II Companion.” She is the author of “The American Civil War: 365 Days,” “World War II: 365 Days,” and “Maxfield Parrish and the Illustrators of the Golden Age.”

Gary W. Gallagher is the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia. A co-editor of “The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference,” Gallagher has written or edited numerous books about the American Civil War.

The 240-page, hardcover volume, with more than 350 color illustrations, is available for $35 in bookstores nationwide and at the Library of Congress Shop, Washington, D.C., 20540-4985. Credit-card orders are taken at (888) 682-3557, or shop on the Internet at www.loc.gov/shop/.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.