Great writing but contrived end

Grant came East with 70,000 troops. Where did they come from? They were not militia but experienced troops so they came from the western armies. It was the move Lincoln and Grant had to make after the Army of the Potomac was destroyed but it leads to major errors in the book. This strips the west of experienced troops. So who is Sherman using to take Atlanta a year earlier that in reality when those 70,000 troops were left in the west. Absurd. If 70,000 Yankee troops were shifted from the West to the East then the Confederates would have been able to make major gains in the West and Lee would maybe have given more thought to going across the Potomac into Virginia when Grant was able to secure the pass into Frederick. That would have been a mistake as the Yankee advantage in numbers and logistics would still have prevailed. But with help from France and maybe England in the offing along with Confederate success in the West might not Lee have been more conservative of his Army of Northen Virginia? The series has been great but the ending is unconvincing. For me to believe otherwise, someone would have to show me how taking 70,000 experienced Yankee soldiers out of the West would help the Yankees under Sherman do better than they did in real life. It just does not make sense. I would have had this book end with Lee's forces hurt but with him slipping over the Potomac to safety with the bulk of his army. Then book 4 could have been about French and English involvement. They use their navies to partially break the blockade, the English put troops into Canada without attacking but forcing the Yankees to send forces north to watch the border, and the French sending supplies to the Confederacy that enable it to re-equip their armies and win independance.

An excellent end to a great series!

This is a great alternate history of the Civil War that has captured the characters "warts and all". In place of images, we have flesh and blood people trying to win and willing to pay the price of victory. It is not possible to consider this as a stand-alone book but as the finial story in the epic summer of 1863. "Gettysburg" is the alternate history that planted the Army of Northern Virginia firmly in Pennsylvania. "Grant Comes East", is the logical continuation as the CSA tries to capitalize on its' greatest victory. Battles are an integral part of both books but political considerations consume much of our attention. Double-dealing, backstabbing, jockeying for advantage and the secret agendas of Stanton and Sickles cause Lincoln problems, just as Davis is second guessing Lee, every step of the way.

This book is the end of the war. Both sides have paid a very high price to keep Lee and Grant in the field. In spite of setbacks and numerous problems, both men know they must win the war not next year but now. The South has no more resources and the North has seen to many defeats. While the authors remind us that Tennessee is an important front, the war is here in the East.

Civil War armies were hard to destroy. No one battle was going to keep the men from rallying at some point. In the first of the modern total wars, armies not cities are the objective. This grinding down process is captured in an entertaining and informative story. That pulls you in and ties you to it. While the outcome is not in question, the path to it is. The "path" is the story of grinding unrelenting combat. Taken from the history of the 1864 Overland Campaign, the authors give us a very real feel for both the men in the ranks and the generals in charge. We come to understand in very graphic terms what is required to destroy the other army.

One again, the more you know about the Civil War the more fun the book is. Quotes, things that happened, should have happened or that we wish had happened are worked into the story. Do the authors play with us? YES and it is great fun!

This is an excellent series and this maybe the best book. I started hating the idea of the series and ended one of the biggest fans. Sit back, relax and stay alert. This is a great ride!

good conclusion to the trilogy

This is a must read for those interested in the cause of the southern side during the civil war. The ending isn't happy, but its a good journey getting there.

Following the earlier disasters cause by bad union generals, General Grant - the Union's best General, comes east with a plan to defeat Lee. Grant's plan is as simple as it is devistating. It is also similar to some of the plans proposed for the liberation of Iraq. His plan is to ignore Lee's Army and drive directly into the heart of the confederacy (Richmond) to force an end to the war.

Most Generals would have turned to face Lee's Army given the risk to washington and the other cities of the North. But Grant as ever uses his simple mind and simple thinking to come up with the correct strategy. Drive right to Richmond. Grant sends two cavalry forces to guard his flank: one under Custer to destroy Lee's rear areas and one under Grierson to checkmate the confederate cavalry.

Let down by his men and political leaders, General Lee falls into a giant trap. His army is surrounded and he is left no choice but to treat with General Grant.

The two great men get together and sort out the war. They come to an honorable agreement to save the union. This is Lee's finest honor in that he finally realizes the truth the Rabbi of Baltimore told him in the last book and acts against the failed leadership of Jefferson Davis. Lee realizes the moral responsibility that military leaders have for their people and countries in a war. Further, how that responsibility transcends oaths and agreements to politicians. Faced with a failed political leadership leading people to ruin, Lee has no other choice than to exercise power himself to end the war.

With the war ended, Slavery is abolished and the northern states provided southerners with the necessary money to transform their economy. The wrongs and mistakes of reconstruction are avoided by leaving the southern states themselves to adjust to the end of slavery. Federalism is preserved, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution is never passed and a reunited America walks boldly into the future.

I have spent many hours on civil wargames and this story is tactically and strategically as close as its possible to come to the real battles. The writers know their history and the different behaviors of the Generals.

There are two things I didn't agree with. I dont think Lee would have fallen into Grant's trap so easily and the Southern States could have raised another Army to delay Grant and defend Richmond long enough for Lee to spring his own trap.