The Civil War was fought across America, but the events that many find the most captivating are those that occurred in the relatively small region surrounding the two wartime capitals, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia. In Civil War Road Trip, Volume I: A Guide to Northern Virginia, Maryland & Pennsylvania, 1861-1863 author Michael Weeks takes you on complete tours of every major military campaign in the region during the first two years of the war, from the first great battle at Manassas in 1861 to the climactic clash at Gettysburg in 1863. Detailed directions and maps, along with a blow-by-blow history of each campaign, will guide you to and through some of the war's most critical battlegrounds, including Fredericksburg, Antietam, and the Shenandoah Valley. A section devoted to commands and commanders tells the colorful life stories of the famous and the infamous; an explanation of military structure and orders of battle as well as a breakdown of various military units clarifies confusing terminology and helps you keep track of the action and the players. Travel tips and further sources of information are also included to help your explorations run smoothly. Fully up-to-date and thoroughly researched, this book is indispensable for the history tourist.

Book jacket.