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An epic, revelatory account of the Battle of Gettysburg, where George Meade, Lincoln's unexpected choice to lead the Union army, defeated Robert E. Lee and changed the course of the Civil War, from the award-winning author of James Monroe: A Life 

By mid-1863, the Civil War, with Northern victories in the West and Southern triumphs in the East, seemed unwinnable for Abraham Lincoln. Robert E. Lee’s bold thrust into Pennsylvania, if successful, could mean Southern independence. In a desperate countermove, Lincoln ordered George Gordon Meade—a man hardly known and hardly known in his own army—to take command of the Army of the Potomac and defeat Lee’s seemingly invincible Army of Northern Virginia. Just three days later, the two great armies collided at a small town called Gettysburg. The epic three-day battle that followed proved to be the turning point in the war, and provided Lincoln the perfect opportunity to give the defining speech of the war—and a challenge to each generation of Americans to live by. 

These men came from different parts of the country and very different upbringings: Robert E. Lee, son of the aristocratic and slaveholding South; George Gordon Meade, raised in the industrious, straitlaced North; and Abraham Lincoln, from the rowdy, untamed West. Lincoln’s election to the presidency in 1860 split the country in two and triggered the Civil War. Lee and Meade found themselves on opposite sides, while Lincoln had the Sisyphean task of reuniting the country. 

With a colorful supporting cast second to none, Three Roads to Gettysburg tells the story of these consequential men, this monumental battle, and the immortal address that has come to define America.

From an award-winning historian and New York Times bestselling author, a gripping, fly-on-the-wall account of the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln's decision to go to war against the Confederacy.



1861: The Lost Peace is the story of President Lincoln's difficult and courageous decision at a time when the country wrestled with deep moral questions of epic proportions. 



Through Jay Winik's singular reporting and storytelling, readers will learn about the extraordinary Washington Peace Conference at the Willard Hotel to avert cataclysmic war. They will observe the irascible and farsighted Senator JJ Crittenden, the tireless moderate seeking a middle way to peace. Lincoln himself called Crittenden "a great man" even as Lincoln jousted with him. Readers will glimpse inside Lincoln's cabinet--the finest in history--which rivaled the executive in its authority, a fact too often forgotten, and witness a parade of statesmen frenetically grasping for peace rather than the spectacle of a young nation slowly choking itself to death. A perfect read for history buffs, with timely overtones to our current political climate.

Follow Lincoln’s day-by-day path from peacemaker to war leader as the Union edges toward Civil War.

The months after the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln, between March 4 and May 3, 1861, mark one of the most significant periods in American history. Antagonism between the North and South, which had been intensifying since Lincoln’s election as president in November 1860, only worsened when the president-elect was sworn into office. Lincoln’s Road to War is a day-by-day account unpacking each day’s events, both personal and political, from Lincoln’s inauguration through the attack on Fort Sumter and towards the march to the Battle of Bull Run/Manassas. 

• March 4, 1861: In his inauguration address, President Lincoln did his best to be reconciliatory, advising Southern secessionists that there would be no war unless they were the aggressors. But he also made it clear that the Union was indivisible, and that secession meant anarchy.
• April 12, 1861: During the early morning hours, rebel artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter, situated on a man-made island in the entrance to Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This was immediately followed by President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers from state militias, along with his order to blockade all Southern ports.

From the first days of his Presidency to a tacit admission of the real probability of war on May 3, 1861, readers follow alongside Lincoln in this daily journal that captures his evolution from an inexperienced, newly installed president trying desperately to avoid a war, to a reluctant commander-in-chief resolved to defend Fort Sumter against rebel aggression, and finally to a war president determined to see the fighting through to the end and to restore the Union. In this revealing and enlightening journey through the progression of Lincoln’s perspectives and politics, readers glean intimate insights into the President, the man, and the country on the precipice of Civil War.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • As the Civil War looms, a young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost in this “poignant story of love, family and friendship [that] celebrates the power of liberation” (People).

“An enrapturing tale of survival . . . Eckstine has poured a ton of heart into her characters.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“The richly textured prose quickly pulled me into [Junie’s] treacherous yet magical world.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake

Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.

When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.

With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?

A heartrending novel of courage and resilience inspired by the true story of a female Civil War spy

September 1862. When war ignites, Hattie Logan escapes her privileged family and prim finishing school to join Allen Pinkerton's spy agency, burning to make a difference for the Union. As one of Pinkerton's mailroom girls, she uncovers secrets that could change the course of the war.

Yet Hattie longs to do more. Dispatched as the courier's wife, she ventures behind enemy lines. There, she finds herself falling in love with the man pretending to be her husband. But from the shadows of her past, a secret threatens her plans-and her life.

A sweeping story of bravery and determination, brimming with rich historical detail and unforgettable characters who will tug at your heart. Fans of Lisa Wingate, Martha Hall Kelly, and Kate Quinn will love this novel of intrigue and hope.

"This spellbinding novel transforms history into a powerful story of a woman's courage in the face of adversity." Readers Favorite

"An involving tale about Civil War intrigue, embroidered with rich historical detail." The Bookmonger

"A first-class novel which represents the strength and courage of so many women during that era, those whose moral character and determination to face danger and stand up for a cause matched any man serving on the front lines of the war" The Historical Fiction Company

"Compelling female characters and vivid settings" The Historical Novel Society

"Fans who enjoy historical spy tales, civil war drama, and romantic adventures will find plenty to entice them in this great read!" InD'tale Magazine