April 1865: The Month That Saved America

Rating:
Summary: Great read for those interested in American history.
Review: I really loved this book. I have always been interested in American history, but have never before been very educated about the Civil War. This book changed all of that. The writer does a wonderful job of making you feel as if you were there for the month of April 1865. Most importantly, Winik sheds a light on the Civil War that makes us view the war in a new and different way, showing us just how fragile the nation was for the first 100 years of its infancy. Finally, on a pure entertainment level, the book reads at times like a suspense novel. In particular, the sequence where Lee and his men are trying to outrun Grant's forces, until they arrive at Appomattox, is particularly gripping.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Pass This Up
Review: This is a great book but poorly edited at a macro level. I found the writing and material engaging. Winik's succinct reviews of leading military and political figures of the the North and the South provide a great intro to further research. For the civil war neophyte the battles in the field and the issues of succession are informative. I'll never fly into Atlanta again w/o thinking of Sherman's march to the sea.