Battle Cry of Freedom

Puncturing old myths and challenging new ones, James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom will unquestionably become the standard one-volume history of the Civil War. Filled with fresh interpretations and information, the fast-paced narrative fully integrates the political, social, and military events that crowded the two decades from the outbreak of one war in Mexico to the ending of another at Appomattox. Tacking back and forth between politics and battle scenes, and capturing Lincoln's moral ambiguities as well as Lee's chivalrous nature, Battle Cry of Freedom captures both the decisive importance of a divided nation coming together to fight for its self-respect and a leader who struggled with indecision until he found his mission and his greatness.