Conway's Compass Series integrates an original narrative with quotations from documents and eyewitnesses, and reproductions of contemporary illustrations or photographs to provide an authoritative account of an historical event or topic. This eclectic approach offers both the perspective of hindsight, placing actions in context, and the immediacy of being present as the events unfold.These are not only described, but also explained, in the words of historians and participants. In addition to the narrative and the documentary excerpts, sidebars and boxed-out sections deal with specific themes, such as the biographies of important individuals and comparisons with similar events in history.