The Battle of First Bull Run–Manassas Campaign July 16–22, 1861: An Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide. Blaikie Hines. American Patriot Press, 2011. 225 pages. 82 maps, 500+ photographs, bibliography, index. Paperback: $39.95. As a volunteer at Virginia’s Manassas National Battlefield Park, you can probably imagine that I have quite a collection of reference books on the two battles fought on the hills outside Manassas in 1861 and 1862. You can also imagine that I begged ArmchairGeneral.com for a chance to review The Battle of First Bull Run–Manassas Campaign: July 16–22, 1861 – an Illustrated Atlas and Battlefield Guide. Prostration before my editor was well worth the effort. In his introduction, Blaikie Hines, Connecticut native and author of Civil War Volunteer Sons of Connecticut (American Patriot Press, 2002), relates how he became enthralled with the iconic battlefield of Manassas (Bull Run) during a visit in 2003. Hines then spent the next seven years collecting photographs and researching the battle. The result of his passion is the impressive The Battle of...
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