Osprey expanding Civil War line

Osprey, a publisher focused on hobbyists, has written to point out that they are expanding their line of Civil War titles: their ACW titles even have their own Osprey page, in fact.

The red-themed covers (see link) indicate a subseries of summary analysis and overview. They are not scholarly monographs but rather work for hire* and generally well written - given the compression required to cover a war or a campaign. Nevertheless, those I have picked up have set aside some of their meager space to wisecrack and sneer at failed commanders - as is mandatory in even the lengthiest pop history work.

Osprey could do a great thing with these redcover series: outline the events and then summarize all relevant scholarship.

Meanwhile, their authors should stay with the facts and leave conclusions to readers.

*(Osprey might counter by saying McPherson's Battle Cry was also work for hire though in an Oxford University Press series. Indeed it was. Interestingly, McPherson's recent conversion of this work into a picture album moves it closer to a classic Osprey title: summary text plus loads of illustrations. Convergence.)