James McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom is acknowledged as the best one-volume history of the war, and covers political and social issues as well as military events.

There are two classic multi-volume histories. Bruce Catton’s trilogy The Centennial History of the Civil War (The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, Never Call Retreat) remains a powerful portrayal of the war’s drama. Catton grew up in Michigan and knew Civil War veterans, which is reflected in his Northern orientation. The other great series is Shelby Foote’s trilogy The Civil War. Foote hails from Mississippi and is decidedly Southern in his views. Both are great literature as well as great history. In addition to these writers, any book by Gary Gallagher is brilliant.

There are several magazines devoted to the Civil War, but North & South is by far the best.

There are many excellent websites on different aspects of the Civil War. The following are some of general interest.

The American Civil War Homepage is perhaps the most complete collection of information and links. It is maintained by a history professor at the University of Tennessee.

The U.S. Civil War Center at Louisiana State University maintains an excellent "Civil War Index" of information and resources on their website. The Center also publishes the Civil War Book Review, which is an excellent way to keep up-to-date on the never-ending flow of writings about the war. Another good source of links is Dakota State University's Civil War site.

Current news about Civil War issues and activities is covered by Civil War Interactive, a daily news site. CWI also has a lengthy collection of links, book reviews, etc.

Two key sites for basic information about military operations are the U.S. Government’s Official Records of the war, and the Battle Summaries maintained by the National Park Service.

Among the war’s greatest legacies are the battlefields preserved by the National Park Service. The NPS website is the best place to access their programs and resources.

If you plan to visit any battlefields or want to see what they look like, the Civil War Album is a magnificent collection of photographic tours around some of the major battlefields. This site is a fine example of the many amateur projects that contribute so much to our appreciation of the war.

Civil War buffs are well-served by the many volumes in the Men-at-Arms and other series published by Osprey Publishing.

There are also a great group of Civil War buffs belonging to the Kingston Civil War Round Table.