by Jeff Shaara
First published 1998
The year is 1863, and Gettysburg lies behind them like a wound that will not heal. Robert E. Lee faces the stark mathematics of war. His Army of Northern Virginia bleeds men it cannot replace while the Union grows stronger each day. The loss of Stonewall Jackson two months before Gettysburg still haunts every decision. Lee knows the South cannot win a prolonged fight, yet Abraham Lincoln has just handed command to Ulysses S. Grant, a general who understands that the North's greatest weapon is its willingness to accept staggering losses. As Grant presses his advantage, Lee rallies his remaining lieutenants. Longstreet, Hill, and Stuart stand ready to follow their commander into battles they know they cannot win. The war enters its third year, and two brilliant generals begin a final, brutal dance of strategy and sacrifice that will determine the fate of a divided nation.
Genres: american-civil-war, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, war-strategy
Setting: Gettysburg, Northern Virginia, The South
Period: 1863
Audio Cassette · Books on Tape, Inc.
Content warnings: violence, war