Synopses & Reviews
The Great Task Remaining is a striking, often poignant portrait of people balancing their own valuesand#8212;rather than oursand#8212;to determine whether the horrors attending Mr. Lincolnand#8217;s war were worth bearing in order to achieve his ultimate goals.and#160;
As 1863 unfolds, we see the disaster at Chancellorsville, the battle of Gettysburg, and the end of the siege of Vicksburg. Then, astonishingly, the Confederacy springs vigorously back to life after the Union triumphs of the summer, setting the stage for Lincolnand#8217;s now famous speech on the Pennsylvania battlefield. Without abandoning the underlying sympathy for Lincoln, Marvel makes a convincing argument for the Gettysburg Address as being less of a paean to liberty than an appeal to stay the course in the face of rampant antiwar sentiment.and#160;
The Great Task Remaining offers a provocative history of a dramatic yearand#8212;a year that saw victory and defeat, doubt and riotand#8212;as well as a compelling story of a people who clung to the promise of a much-longed-for end.
Synopsis
Analyzes major battles of the third year of the Civil War--including Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg--as recounted by first-hand witnesses, surveying their views on whether the war's goals justified its costs.
Synopsis
A critical examination of the third year of Lincoln's administration, challenging popular explanations for the origin of the conflict and uncovering a greater breadth of corruption and cynical exploitation than has been previously acknowledged.
About the Author
WILLIAM MARVELand#8217;s many acclaimed books on the Civil War includeThe Great Task Remaining,Lincoln's Darkest Year,Mr. Lincoln Goes to War, andAndersonville. He has won a Lincoln Prize, the Douglas Southall Freeman Award, and the Bell Award.