On April 12, 1861, the first shots were fired in a conflict that would become the bloodiest war to have ever occurred on American soil.

It would continue to rage across the states for a further four years.

In this Pulitzer Prize winning history of that period James Ford Rhodes fully explains its causes, events and effects.

From the moment of secession by the southern states through to Lee’s surrender, Rhodes encompasses the full narrative of the conflict in this single-volume history.

Rhodes provides vivid portraits of the main leaders of the war as well as their actions, both on the battlefield and in the political discussions taking place in Washington and Richmond.

Rich in scholarship and written in engrossing style History of the Civil War, 1861-1865 is essential reading for anyone with an interest nineteenth century American history.

"Well worthy of the welcome." — American Historical Review

James Ford Rhodes was an American industrialist and historian born in Cleveland, Ohio. After earning a fortune in the iron, coal, and steel industries by 1885, he retired from business and spent the rest of his life writing on the history of America. His most famous work was History of the Civil War, 1861-1865, which won a Pulitzer Prize, and was published in 1917. He died in 1927.