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Summary: Start here if you have read very little on the US Civil War
Review: The American Civil War and particularly its end, in both manner and means, completed that which was begun in 1776. Previously "Americans had a constitution and a country before they had a nation." (p.373) The artificial state or series of states that existed before had now been forged in battle, firstly by southern consciousness , then by northern community and finally by Lincoln's assassination which engendered remorse even from Robert E. Lee himself. Laying Lincoln to rest was counterpart to Lee's surrender at Appomattox, I'd say. It wasn't just a president that was laid to rest, but the war too; and as parcel to that, the past as well---two nations growing in consciousness and being made into one (or at least put on the path toward such). That is the importance of the Civil War. It is the focus of this book; the developments on how this war did end, with enough of its antecedent details so that it requires no previous study or knowledge of Civil War history to appreciate it. The United States was a federal structure from its inception, not a national one; as such, citizens who had cast off their Britishness had little to replace such with, thereby strenthening ones loyalties to particular states. Most citizens had little experience other than a casual association through the post office with their federal government in fact. Meanwhile, the seemingly everpresent balance mantained in Washington between the slaveholding, farming south and industrializing (more populous) north; between its aristocratic past and future self, or progressive self, was being fought out over the issue of the possible expansion or curtailment of slavery. April 1865 was the month in which this issue was conclusively decided, but the manner in which it was, and that it was at all is the focus of this enjoyable read. If you are keenly interested in the American Civil War you ought to read this book. It is worth your time; it is, moreover, even if you have but a passing interest in this subject, just enough to delve into one book on the subject---388 pages to understand the heart of the American Civil War is more than a fair bargain, I'd say. I don't think you can understand the USA if you don't know anything about this era and the manner in which a multitude of states were forged into the beginning of a nation. The battles of the Civil War make fascinating reading too (and the actual battle sites are wonderful to visit as well), but your interest would be better served by reading this book before becoming absorbed in snapshots of the war as provided by studies on Gettysburg, Lee's command, or whatever. Cheers
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Summary: LIVING HISTORY
Review: The phrase "living history" is often falsly ascribed to books that take the reader back to a period and the events being written about. In the case of Jay Winik's "April 1865", this phrase is an understatement. Winik has managed to achieve what so few writers ever come close too. He weaves the complex web of events that and individuals who helped shape the UNITED STATES that we know and love into a narrative which is truely magnificent. The political, military and above all moral dilemmas facing Lee, Grant, Lincoln et al in the closing days of the Civil War come to life at the end of Winik's fluid penmanship. One can only imagine the truely appaling consequences for all involved in that bloody conflict as the remnants of Lee's once great army struggled to escape the jaws of Grant's seemingly endless onslaught. Again Winik takes the reader into the thoughts of the adversaries, both those who would ultimately decide the fate of both armies, and the men who struggled to understand why they were there and what they were fighting and dying for. Winik more so than any Civil War writer todate encapsulates the motivations of various individuals - Union and Confederate - and the way in which parties on both sides could have chosen a far more horrific and uncertain outcome. From the prelude to the last page, Winik's unique style of conveying such a complex and oft misunderstood period in our history, will keep the reader enthralled and longing for more. This work truely deserves to become one of the standard texts on any Civil War reading list and should become a classic. A truely magnificent achievement!
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Summary: An Undying Resolve
Review: The premise found in "April 1865" is one that has been debated time and again, but Jay Winik does an excellent job keeping the reader enthralled all the while presenting the story of our nation's "re-birth" through the series of events that unfolded in the last month of the Civil War. I did find Winik's focus on General Lee's decison to not under go guerilla warfare as an important turn of events, a bit over blown. However, it's difficult to dismiss the "what if's" that constantly creep in your mind as you read about the triumphs and tragedies that both sides felt during this turmoltous time. As well as the decisions that were made, or not made, while the war closed its final chapter. Winik's approach to Lincoln's assasination, as well as the nation's mourning of the fallen president, is moving. The book reminds us of Lincoln's greatness as a leader and of how his wisdom and grace inspired the nation's leaders to embrace healing after his death and after the bloodiest war in our history. All in all, this book is a good footnote for Civil War and history buffs, and the book has the feel of a novel at times, which keeps the reader interested. But the most important part of the book, and the focus Winik is shooting for, is the reminder of how our nation has always bounced back, out of the ashes, inspite of the odds, with an iron will and an undying resolve. This book is a good companion for post 9/11 reflection.
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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.
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Summary: A war that could have had a totally different outcome
Review: Winik has done a masterful job of putting together the last few months of the civil war in a way that I have not seen done before. For many Americans, the end of the war, and the way that it ended was inevitable given the industrial strength of the North and the inroads made by Sherman and Grant into the Southern bastions. But there were choices available, and advocated, to surrender, such as continuing a guerilla war without a formal end. Had Lee chosen that alternative, the US as we know it would probably not have survived. With increasing opposition to the war in the northern states, riots breaking out as protests were suppressed over the draft, and with ever mounting causalities, it is easy to assume that northern politicians would have been forced to accept a truce and a dissolution of the union as the war dragged on into the 1870's. Slavery would still be permitted or reinstated in the Confederacy, the US would be torn as it expanded West on the slave issue, and the country would be a shadow of the industrial and military power that it became. Only a few men making different decisions prevented this from happening. General Lee is far more a hero for taking the position of statesmen and surrendering when many around him were adamant about continuing the fight. The quagmire of the Civil War, as with Vietnam, was as much a political one as it was a military one. If the same forces for compromise and bringing an end to the war been in place in 1865 as they were in 1972, slavery would probably still exist.
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