An author can write a dry, boring book on history or as the cliche goes, make history come alive. This goes beyond alive, it will make you feel like you are there. The only reason I didn't give this book another star was the scope was so limited. It deals with just a few days before Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the demise of Jefferson Davis: essentially a book about a funeral and a chase. Which made me wonder initially how much I would enjoy it. Turns out I needn't have bothered.The author really did his homework and it shows. There are numerous letters, diary entries and eyewitness accounts which enlivened the topic. I look forward to reading more from this author.