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More books have been written on the Civil War than any other topic, and yet there is always more to learn. I'm not one to find glamor in war, but the Civil War really does seem set apart in many ways. Its effects are still very much with us today; the crucible of the Civil War defines us.

Author Jay Winik does a masterful job of not just tracing the events of April 1865, but also of providing the context for those events. He examines the role of slavery in American life and the fact that many people, even those who were slave owners, recognized it as an institution that was destructive to the country (to say nothing of individual slaves). By opening up the book with a focus on Thomas Jefferson, Winik sets the stage for what is to come.

Winik makes the excellent point that looking back on the Civil War, a whole lot of things seem inevitable that were anything but. He also notes that during his lifetime, Abraham Lincoln was as loathed as he was loved. It really is important to remember both those things. We can look around our country today and think that the was things turned out was almost pre-ordained, but it's just not true.