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

While lacking the depth of his previous books Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon, this popular history provides the backstories for the major figures and events of the last year of the American Civil War. Having recently read excellent biographies of Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman, much of the material was familiar, but I enjoyed how Gwynne presented the bloody battles of Virginia, Sherman's march, the work of Clara Barton, and the role of black soldiers within the very chaotic political context of 1864.