Their Last Full Measure: The Final Days of the Civil War

First Fort Sumter, and then Confederate victories, something about Stonewall Jackson, something else about Grant, then Gettysburg and Lee surrendering. This is the extent to which history textbooks describe the American Civil War. Even the best history courses spare only a few words for the closing days of the war before leaping ahead to Lincoln’s assassination and the difficulties of the Reconstruction period. The world needs enlightenment about the closing days of the Civil War. Thankfully, Their Last Full Measure succinctly explains the last battles and events of that conflict. With flawless pacing, rich narration, and seamless exposition, this book not only effervescently illuminates enough information to get at least a solid understanding of the war’s end, but also to be stirred by the mesmerizing tales of camaraderie, selflessness, victory, and desperation that are cunningly inserted into the text, resulting in a fluid tale that starkly illustrates all the circumstances that ultimately led to the North’s victory and the South’s surrender. Such a crucial period of American history must not be ignored; it is most fortunate that this fantastic book allows us to learn about said period with ease and interest.