THE CIVIL WAR IN THE AMERICAN WEST

Josephy intends this to be a complete overview of the Civil War west of the Mississippi Valley. It covers an immense amount of material in fairly detailed fashion. This is a problem in the audio format. Dick Estell's reading is clear, and he provides subtle dramatic emphasis at the needed points. However, so many details must be remembered--such as names, places, dates, the history of Texas's designs on New Mexico, and the internal politics of the Cherokee nation--that it becomes very difficult to follow as a recording. W.W.G. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPT 94]