The very heart of the Confederate fighting unit was its flag, which came in a variety of designs and colours. The flag was the rallying point on the field of battle and it marked the unit headquarters in camp. In 1865, at the war's conclusion, the furling of the defeated Confederate banners signalled the end of that episode in history. As the first of three books focusing on flags of the Civil War (1861-1865), Philip Katcher's text provides a detailed look into Confederate flags. Full colour illustrations and rare photographs portray the myriad variations of flags used to represent the seceding southern states.

Most Civil War soldiers, although they served in a national Union or Confederate Army, fought under a state designation and often felt that they were representing their state as much as their country. So it was only natural that many carried state flags, or national flags with state seals and mottos, as their regimental colours. Complemented by many photographs and illustrations, incuding eight full page colour plates by Rick Scollins and Gerry Embleton, Philip Katcher's engaging and informative text explores the flags of the State and Volunteer troops of the American Civil War (1861-1865).