Even though the Civil War is among the best-documented wars in world history, the story of the individual soldier is not well documented. What is the story of the men in blue and gray? In "The Fighting Men of the Civil War," William C. Davis shows us that for these soldiers the Civil War was far removed from politics, from the great question of slavery, even from the movement of armies.

Shifting his focus from the officer to the men in the ranks, he begins with enlistment and training, follows with life in the camp and on the march, and concludes with experiences of combat, imprisonment,...