The Secret War For The Union: The Untold Story of Military Intelligence in the Civil War

Most histories of the Civil War explain victory and defeat in terms of the skill of commanders and their troops. Intelligence records disappeared after the war, and thus a critically important element has largely been ignored. Fishel has unearthed substantial collections of such records, and his "intelligence explanation" radically alters history's understanding of the campaigns. The Secret War for the Union is one of the most important Civil War works ever published.

"Breaks much new ground and deserves to reach a wide audience." The New York Times

"The first major study to present the war's campaigns from an intelligence perspective." Publishers Weekly

"Fundamentally changes our picture of the secret service in the Civil War." The Washington Post