by Bruce Catton
First published 2015
Catton examines the Union Army's struggles during the Civil War's second year through the decisive battle at Gettysburg. He opens with the military situation facing President Lincoln as he replaces the unsuccessful George McClellan with General Ambrose Burnside. Catton details how Burnside's leadership quickly crumbles with his crushing defeat at Fredericksburg in December 1862. The narrative follows Joseph Hooker's subsequent command as he transforms what should have been Union success at Chancellorsville into Robert E. Lee's greatest Confederate victory. The author traces the war's momentum shift during three crucial days in July 1863 when Union forces finally achieved decisive victory at Gettysburg. Catton weaves together battlefield action with political maneuvering and civilian experiences on the home front. He shows how military incompetence and strategic blunders nearly cost the Union the war during its most perilous period. The book captures both extraordinary courage and shocking failures of leadership that defined this critical phase of American history.
Genres: biography, american-civil-war, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-drama
Setting: Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg
Period: 1862, 1863
466 pages · Kindle Edition · Open Road Media