Meticulous, expansive, insightful, and above all read able, this book well deserves the Pulitzer Prize it won and its less formal accolade as “the best single volume history of the American Civil War”. This book managed to make a subject I initially had very little interest in (due in large part to tedious high school history classes) feel vital, immediate, and keenly fascinating. Because of this book I think I’ll read more about this period in American history, maybe more volumes from this very talented and experienced author.