Reviewed under the rubric of The Centennial History of the Civil War of which this is the third of three volumes.

Excellent book. I've read all three volumes now. Should have read them years ago. Highly recommended.

I am in awe after reading this series of books. Bruce Catton tells the civil war story better than anyone else. I read 4 or 5 civil war related books a year and Mr Catton fills in many of the missing blanks. His keen insight and educated observation sets this series of books apart. Yes, he tells you about the battles and main characters, but it is his discussion on the politics that set this series of books apart from any other. He teaches you that the past is not so simple. From Fort Sumter to Emancipation, the debates never easy. If you are a seasoned civil war reader. Read this series of books.

Another magnificent volume on the Civil War and a fitting end to a fantastic trilogy. As I've said with other Catton works, his prose is so engaging. He makes the information easily digestible and endlessly entertaining. This volume finishes his 'Centennial History of the Civil War" and covers the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam all the way to the end of the war. He covers all aspects and areas of the war, and it's amazing to me that this book isn't double the length with the sheer amount of information presented. Overall a fascinating and fantastic Civil War book.

I was lucky enough to have had several excellent professors who taught Civil War history. I only with Bruce Catton had been one of them.

The final volume in Catton's three volume series on the Civil War, my only complaint was that it seemed to fly by too quickly. The years of lead-up to the war and its first 1 1/2 years occupied two full volumes, but the remaining three years zipped by in one volume (albeit a 558 page one); Catton is such a great writer that he could have stretched out the material to twice the length and I wouldn't have complained. Otherwise, it doesn't disappoint in any way - it covers all the whos, the whats and the wheres in a comprehensive and insightful but consistently engaging way. Keep in mind that the book is focused on the "big picture" military, political and economic themes of the war - those looking for explorations of how the war impacted specific communities, areas or aspects of life should look elsewhere.

Although this book is about 50 years old, it is still one of the best studies of the American Civil War ever completed. It is extremely easy to read and provides excellent insights not only into the major battles of the last 18 months of the war but of the political and social history of the time and the immense challenges facing the unified nation in 1865 especially concerning the newly freed slaves. Highly recommended.

I love Bruce Catton. I would consider this trilogy more for the well read civil war buff, Catton covers all of the background politics behind the action.

Bruce Catton is one of the great historians of the Civil War. Anyone wanting to get "deep" into what actually happened in that troubled time should read any of his books.

Catton's three-volume history of the Civil War is excellent: detailed, nuanced, and highly readable; history written for adults.

This book sealed a trilogy that was very enjoyable. The series provided enough detail to add vivid color to a period of American history that I only knew generalities about (likely all I ever learned in grade school history class), but wasn’t over encumbering.

burnside failure at fredricksburg and replacement by hooker

hooker failure at chancellorsville, death of stonewall jackson

bragg failure at stone's river vs. rosecrans

banks command at new orleans, failure to link up with grant above vicksburg

Difficulties of union army helping freed slaves

Failure of monitors to take Charleston, successive battles on Morris island for fort Wagner, fort sumter

Union defeat at chickamauga

Southern defeat at Chattanooga

grant assumption of overall union command

sherman drive to atlanta, joe johnston replaced with hood

butler's bumbling ineptitude east and south of richmond/petersburg, failing to shorten the war in 1864

overland campaign with grant vs. lee in wilderness, spotsylvania, cold harbor, ending in siege warfare