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Summary: General Grant had different views on Lee's sense of honor
Review: "Nor have I ever felt that the surrender at Appomattox was an absolute military necessity. I think that in holding Richmond, and even in consenting to that surrender, Lee sacrificed his judgment as a soldier to his duty as a citizen and the leader of the South. I think Lee deserves honor for that, for if he had left Richmond when Sherman invaded Georgia, it would have given us another year of war." US Grant - as quoted in Travels with Grant Volume 2, page 627, by John R. Young, 1879. A very beautiful book with many engravings.If Winik can explain this, I'll buy a copy of his book for everyone in my family - 7 copies.
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Summary: Captivating Historical Narrative
Review: This is an absorbing well written easy to read insight into a time period in United States history which was brimming with opportunity as well as potential disaster. Winik proposes that April, 1865, is a month which was pivital in deciding the future of the nation. Whether this is literally true or not must be left to scholars more versed in the nuances of the time than I am to decide. What is clear to me is that several major events did come together at this time including, among others, the assassination of President Lincoln, the transfer of power in the middle of a crisis situation, Lee's decisions concerning the ultimate fate of the Army of Northern Virginia, and Grant's determination to show generosity at Appommatox. Winik connects these events in a narrative style which makes history vividly real and engrossing. One example among many which might be cited is the description of the meeting between Lee and Grant at Appomattox. Lee, proud in defeat and attempting to salvage what he can for his officers and men, suggesting in a quiet way changes in the articles of surrender which Grant "must have overlooked," and Grant, with respect and admiration for his adversary agreeing that, indeed, he certainly meant the agreement to read in the way suggested shows rather than tells of the relationship between the two men at that instant in history. This is, in my opinion, very good writing and wonderful imagery. This is history written to be enjoyed. History buffs and casual readers of the genre surely will not be disappointed in this book.
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Summary: A New Civil War Classic is Born
Review: Let me start by saying I am not a Civil War expert. However, I have read some of the "so called" classics of Civil War history. Based on what I have read, I believe this book will long be considered a "classic". Mr. Winik brilliantly weaves together the political and military issues our nation had to face in April 1865. In no other month in American history has our country had to wrestle with more complex and emotional issues than they did in this one month. Today, we tend to believe that things were destined to turn out as they did but, this is far from the truth. It was very possible that Robert E. Lee could have disbanded his army and continued with a guerilla war that could have lasted for years and cost thousands of more lives. In fact, this was the greatest fear of both Lincoln and Grant. Mr. Winik's book makes clear that if not for a few leaders who did rise above the emotions and hatred of the moment the nation would not have come back together as it did. He makes it clear he believes the formost of these leaders was Robert E. Lee. Without him, the south was ready to continue the fighting to the very end regardless of how many more died. Lee's calm example, dispite the heartbreak of surrender, was responsible for the other southern generals following his example and laying down their arms. In short, this is a remarkable book about a remarkable time. We get a new appreciation for the men of that time, such as, Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Johnson, and Sherman to name a few. I think it will be read for many generations to come.
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Summary: Jeff Shaara called April 1865 "Magnificent"
Review: As a Civil War buff who loved April 1865 and thought it was truly extraordinary, I just couldn't let a disgruntled review pass unanswered. Jeff Shaara, of "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure" called April 1865 "magnificent" in the Wall Street Journal - he also wrote that it "provides a splendid combination of history, civics lesson, and biography, but Mr. Winik is also a marvelous storyteller." Mr. Shaara clearly knows his Civil War; if you don't want my recommendation, take his. This book is "magnificent."
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Summary: Great idea, mawkishly executed
Review: The idea of writing a book to explore the impact of a single month in American history has great appeal, and Winik does a decent job of capturing the flow of events in a compelling narrative. But the WRITING!!! As breathless and mawkish as a sophomore's mash note. There were numerous occasions on which I had to restrain the urge to fling the book across the room. Overblown metaphors, hyperbolic historical comparisons, artificially dramatic phrasing, and over-liberal use of the post-cliffhanger single sentence response make this book read like history as told by a Hollywood hack screenwriter. Oy.
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Summary: Barely close and certainly no cigar!
Review: Winik essentially has it all wrong. He is correct in saying that some people look back from the early 21st century and assume that the outcome of the Civil War and its aftermath were inevitable. However, Winik has ignored a lot of modern scholarship that disproves his thesis. In particular, Gary Gallagher has shown that the Confederates never really considered conducting guerrilla warfare rather than surrendering. Winik also ignores the considerable body of documentation that shows that the "touchy-feely warm fuzzies" that the two sides embraced at the surrender did not exist. People on both sides continued to harbor very hard feelings against the other for decades. Winik also has a lot of his facts wrong. His opening chapters indicate that he has no understanding of the Petersburg Campaign, and his description of Lee's evacuation of his headquarters on the morning of April 2, 1865, seems to have been made up. The writing is generally smooth and easy to follow, but Winik shows that he is not a trained historian. This book can be ignored by all Civil War buffs. The professionals will undoubtedly knock it in reviews in professional journals.
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Summary: A Surprisingly Revealing Story
Review: Jay Winik has made a great contribution to the understanding of the waning days of the Civil War. This outstanding book takes familiar events, and makes you feel as if you are reading about them for the first time. The reader actually suspects that Lee might escape from Grants clutches and snatch sime sort of victory from a seemingly hopeless situation. American history textbooks tend to wrap up the Civil War rather quickly."The Confederates lost at Gettysburg and it was all downhill until the inevitable surrender at Appomattox" - or something like that. Winik brilliantly brings the final days of the Civil War to life.The descriptions of combat are simply the best I have ever read. Winik's balance is truly impressive. While he clearly belirves Lincoln to be the one indispensible man in the entire conflict, and largely credits him with the Union victory, he also has great admiration for Robert E. Lee as a soldier and a statesman. Winik succeeds in doing what every great historian should do: help the reader understand what it was like to have been there. I highly reccomend this wonderfull book.
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Summary: April 1865 - Spectacular!
Review: You do not have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. A general interest in our Civil War would help; however, this incredible lecture reads like an action novel. I could not put it down.
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Summary: Interesting, but ultimately annoying.
Review: I understand the raves about this book. I understand the awakening the woman from Virginia had after hearing one version of the Civil War all her life. But that is counterbalanced by two major problems and a lot of minor ones: 1. Is Winik's thesis correct? Was America "saved'' by April, 1965? A lot of historians argue that Lincoln's assassination let Congress unleash its wrath on the South rather than reconstruct gently, an error that we're still trying to rectify. OK, school segregation is no longer legal, although it exists, and African-Americans can vote, get elected to office and use the same bathrooms and drinking fountains as whites. But 136 years later, we're still having debates over the display of the Confederate flag. And the problem is national, not southern. Maybe we wouldn't have been better off had Lincoln lived. But maybe we would have. 2. Nobody (actually too many people) edited this book. Others have pointed out typos and two Longstreets. My problem is digression. The background on Lee and others has been covered by McPherson (seemingly Winik's mentor), Foote, Catton and dozens of others, most of them more accurately. Michael Shaara captured Lee better and more movingly in a novel, "The Killer Angels,'' than Winik does here. Some of the anectodal digressions are revealing but others are pedantic or patronizing. There's one about the Confederate armies marching on foot, which, Winik tells us, is something we 20-21st century types might not understand. Modern armies, you see, use tanks, trucks, helicopters and planes. Except, of course, for the Bataan death march. Never would have known that. There are plenty of fascinating nuggets in the anecdotes. But is this a defining Civil War book? Hardly. It reads more like something that sprang from a discussion at a dinner party inside the Beltway. It's an interesting theory. Nothing more.
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Summary: NPR interview
Review: The NPR interview of the author -- available on their web site -- was unbelievably interesting. I highly recommend you go and listen to it.
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