Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War

Gwynne (Rebel Yell) homes in on the Civil War’s last, brutal year with intelligent battlefield analyses and sympathetic, evenhanded portrayals of Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Clara Barton, and other major figures. Ambitious, humbly dressed Grant became the general of the Army of the Potomac and finally defeated the Confederacy through battlefield successes and jaw-dropping systematic devastation of the Shenandoah Valley and Atlanta, giving Lee generous terms of surrender at Appomattox. Lincoln struggled with years of Confederate victories, fresh political challenges from radical Republicans in the 1864 election, and the practicalities of multitudes of newly freed slaves. Throughout the narrative, Gwynne gives frank details on the thousands of African-Americans who toiled on both sides of the war, reminding the reader of the conflict’s high stakes. The purposeful, powerful ending describes the horrific conditions in prisoner-of-war camps, pushing past the romantic mythologizing that was once common in writing about this devastating era. Gwynne excels in tightly focused storytelling, beginning most chapters with a well-chosen, often curiosity-provoking photograph. This is a must-read for Civil War enthusiasts. Agency: Amy Hughes, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Oct.)