Vincent Virga – författare

At a time before the camera lens could capture the frenzy and terror of battle action, illustrators known as “Special Artists”—among them such famous draftsmen as Winslow Homer and Thomas Nast—created for the American public some of the most important and lasting images of the Civil War. Reporting for newspapers like Harper’s Weekly and Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News, the Specials brought a visceral immediacy to the clash, presenting rich and nuanced images of soldiers in the camps and sweeping panoramas of the great battles. The illustrations span the war and its many theaters, including rarely seen views of Shiloh, Antietam, Vicksburg, and Gettysburg, and the famous stampede of Union soldiers fleeing the Rebels at Bull Run. Gathering these images for the first time in fifty years, Civil War Sketch Book gives readers the sense that they are touching history, for the illustrations (some even stained with soldiers’ blood) represent priceless artifacts from our nation’s greatest conflict.

A stirring trip through the history of the Golden State through gloriously detailed, fascinating maps from the Library of Congress - 50 full-color historical maps from the Library of Congress- Informative captions on each map’s origins- Essays by California author Ray Jones on how maps reflect the history, culture, and sensibilities of the state and its residents through time- A foreword by Vincent Virga describing the library’s collection and the state’s maps About Mapping States Through History This is the first series to assemble—in full color, state-by-state—an in-depth collection of rare, historically significant maps of the cities, states, counties, towns, and events that make up each of America’s fifty states. Produced in collaboration with the Library of Congress and edited by renowned photo editor and author Vincent Virga, these books offer a glimpse into the history of the United States through the maps and their narrative captions. Each map thus becomes a virtual time machine that tells us much about the places we live in today. Compelling historical essays by a local writer complement Virga’s foreword to further help weave the cartographic record into a drama of settlement and change.

Combining 50 rare, beautiful, and diverse maps of the Commonwealth of Virginia from the collections of the Library of Congress, informative captions about the origins and contents of those maps, and essays on state history, this book is a collectible for cartography buffs and a celebration of Virginia for residents, former residents, and visitors.