The Barnes & Noble Review Kenneth C. Davis, the author of the highly popular Don't Know Much About series, offers his latest installment, Don't Know Much About the Civil War: Everything You Need to Know About America's Greatest Conflict but Never Learned. Davis maintains the standard of excellence that sold more than one million copies in paperback alone of his previous Don't Know Much About books and put them on numerous bestseller lists. Davis brings the Civil War to life by focusing on every aspect of the war, not just the battles and dates. Using the same unique question-and-answer style that made his past books so popular, he sorts out the key events, players, and politics involved. There is a human face given to the Civil War as he defines the impact it had on American history. Davis gives personality to such historical icons as Lincoln, Lee, Grant, Sherman, and Frederick Douglass. The ongoing debate about the Civil War's origins is also analyzed. Davis demonstrates that the war was fought over slavery and explains that the other hypothetical causes were simply economic or political differences that could have been resolved without violence and war. Davis also highlights the personal views of those involved in the slavery debate. Abraham Lincoln, for example, opposed slavery but wanted to return the freed blacks to Africa; General Robert E. Lee, while not necessarily approving of slavery, allowed captured blacks to be brought back in chains. Starting with the first slaves in Jamestown, Davis covers the debate over slavery through the Mexican War and Harper's Ferry. From thefirstshots at Fort Sumter to Shiloh, Gettysburg, the Emancipation Proclamation and finally to the last days of the Confederacy and the period of Reconstruction, Davis enlightens even the most knowledgeable Civil War enthusiasts.