Francis Palfrey's "The Antietam and Fredericksburg"

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Brevet Brig. Gen. Francis W. Palfrey was one of many authors to contribute to the 113 volume Campaigns of the Civil War series.

Written sometime after the war, you won't find any surprises in Palfrey's treatment of McClellan's failure at the Antietam or Burnsides' blunder at Fredericksburg. Still, it is a good, orthodox treatment of both battles and you walk away with a good understanding of how they developed. One thing lacking is a battlemap to help you follow the battle better. However, being that they are reprints of 19th century books, don't expect any pictures or elaborate maps. You do get a well organized TOE and a decent index.

There are better books, but if you want quick and easy reading, Palfrey's book will do.