Robert

This book (enhanced by the reader) is one of the best books I have ever read. The characters feel like I really know them and the story is absolutely gripping. The full panoply of human greatness and folly is on display here. The reader is especially integral to the enjoyment of the story as he seamlessly moves from character to character. Some reviewers have complained he reads slowly, etc. For me, he extracts the fullness of every word, as one would each bite of the most succulent meal.

I didn't realize at the time I downloaded this recording that the author, Bruce Catton, was a Pulitzer winner for another one of his Civil War works ("A Stillness at Appomattox"). He was an expert in the war and this book is excellent. I did though find it difficult to follow the military movements and geographical references so I went looking for a pictorial history to supplement this book. Quite by accident, at a used book store, I stumbled upon The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War. It turns out that the narrative is the text for this audio recording!