The last full measure

Description

After Gettysburg, the American Civil War enters its third year with neither side able to escape the conflict’s mounting cost. The Union is divided between Washington politicians and frustrated field commanders until Abraham Lincoln places Ulysses S. Grant in command at a critical moment. Across the lines, Robert E. Lee understands that the Confederacy cannot survive an indefinitely prolonged war, yet remains committed to fighting on. Joshua Chamberlain, the college professor whose actions at Gettysburg made him a Union hero, returns as another major perspective on the struggle. Moving among commanders and soldiers, the historical novel balances battlefield action with political pressure, private doubt, and competing ideas of duty as Grant and Lee drive their armies toward an increasingly destructive confrontation.

Themes