According to Lt. Edmund Patterson of the 9th Alabama Infantry, “one knows...nothing at all about [combat] until he has participated in it.” Patterson’s observations and a host of others by soldiers of the North and South shed some light on the subject of Civil War battles and the conduct and experiences of the soldiers who fought them in The Civil War Infantryman. Historian Greg Coco’s expert handling of the material conveys what food they ate, the uniforms they wore, the equipment and weapons they carried and used, and much more. The themes cover everything from recruitment, training, and marches, to camp life, combat, and mustering out. Soldiers discuss wounds, field hospitals, and burials of friends and foe alike. A handy guide and refresher for veteran campaigners and new readers alike.

“While preparing to become a licensed battlefield guide, I relied heavily on Greg Coco’s books. Once I became a guide, I consulted these wonderful resources as I created tours and programs for Gettysburg visitors. Greg’s works are comprehensive and well-written. All are important in subject matter, though my personal favorite is A Strange and Blighted Land: The Aftermath of a Battle. Every title touches heavily on the battle’s human aspects, which make them very readable and relatable. I recommend them to visitors at every opportunity.”

“The multifarious works of Greg Coco are singularly important in the literature surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg.”

“Greg Coco’s classic works about the Battle of Gettysburg provide an incisive, unvarnished portrait of how the soldiers and the community where they fought fared after the largest battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere. Collectively, these books help transform our understanding of the true cost of this battle for all of those touched by it. They belong in the library of every student of the American Civil War.”

“Greg Coco’s books gave us a timeless study of the Battle of Gettysburg written by not only a gifted historian, but also a combat infantryman. If all historians are tourists in a foreign land, then Greg Coco has become our guide!”