It brilliantly refutes the notion that Grant relied only on brute force to achieve his victories, demonstrating instead the mastery of mobility, surprise, cool judgment, and strategic coordination that made Grant the premier Civil War general."--James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom"A classic analysis of U.S. Grant, Fuller's work makes a strong case for the general as the pre-eminent soldier of his era. It is essential reading for students of Civil War military leadership."--Gary Gallagher, editor of Fighting for the Confederacy

    But unlike other Southern writers who made Davis a larger-than-life hero of the Lost Cause, Tate pulls no punches in his assessment of the President's weaknesses as well as his strengths, and how they may have crippled the Confederacy from the very beginning.