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

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

 Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War by S.C. Gwynne, 

395 pages

The fourth and final year of the American Civil War is covered here by an excellent writer, who kept the pages turning with well-conceived chapters and intriguing descriptions of the people and times. I enjoy Civil War history, but I often find books detailing every moment and movement of battles tedious and dense. This one told the story of the battles the way I like to read them: who planned their strategy well, who didn't, who won, who lost. 

But what I really appreciated about this book was that its focus was not entirely on the battles: I learned more about Clara Barton, the "Angel of the Battlefield" in this book than I have anywhere else. And I'd never heard of African-American Civil War correspondent Thomas Morris Chester, whose newspaper reporting covered the stories in ways his colleagues never could, until I read this book. Likewise, reading about the importance of the 1864 election was timely to current events, and it was interesting to learn that even Abraham Lincoln felt his chances for a loss were high and that his own party was in the process of disassociating themselves with him.

The book did cover the important people and dates, but in a way that was accessible and readable. Each person was well-described so that they were distinguishable from others, and the impact of decisions and the heartbreaking aftermath of battles, while not enjoyable to read, was well-written. The author was good at debunking myths while still telling stories I hadn't read before. I would recommend this for anyone interested in the Civil War and American history.