These literal snapshots of war capture its solemnity; the raw, grim scenes convey reality beyond what text can portray. Details included in a preface section set the stage and tell the reader it is the photographer's job not just to show facts, but to show the Civil War's meaning. A must for every school library. The award-winning author of "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" tells the story of the Civil War as seen through the lenses of the field photographers hired by Matthew Brady, who traveled with troops and made visual records of what they saw. Photos.