Acclaimed Civil War historian Susannah Ural brings a unique and fresh insight into the war, delving into the historical archives, in particular the untapped resources of the Gilder Lehrmann Institute. Her consummate narrative draws together these different personal recollections to create a textured, detailed portrait of a nation at war with itself. This unique examination of the Civil War looks at the desperate battles and the wider experiences wrought by the horrors of the conflict through excerpts from letters and diaries of soldiers on the frontlines, commanders on the eve of battle, anxious families at home, ordinary and famous men and women and slave and free. These first-hand accounts invite readers to set aside assumptions and learn about the divisions and range of opinions on both sides of the contest.