i have several books concerning the civil war and union uniforms but i am asking is which one should a person use for in formation for their first figure ?
How would we know since you have not indicated which books you have nor the type of figure you wish to do? However, Don Troiani's books are very well researched and I doubt you could go wrong with one of them.
I would suggest the latest Troiani book on Civil War regiments which is full of figure studies and color photos of items from the collection of Don Troiani and others. The Time-Life Echoes of Glory series is also a must have for any miniaturist doing Civil War subjects.~Gary
I have a book called "The Illustrated History of Uniforms, Weapons and Equipment of the Civil War" It was edited by David Miller and published by Salamander Books Limited of London. I use it exclusively for my uniform reference. I hope this is helpful to you.
Marc,
If you can find a set of the "Echoes of Glory" books, get them. They are without a doubt the best on ACW out there. Unfortunately, they're out of print, but I see them on eBay all the time.