In the spring of 1864, Robert E. Lee faced a new adversary: Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Named commander of all Union armies in March, Grant quickly went on the offensive against Lee in Virginia. On May 4, Grant's army struck hard across the Rapidan River into north-central Virginia, with Lee's army contesting every mile. They fought for forty days until, finally, the Union army crossed the James River and began the siege of Petersburg.The campaign cost more than 100,000 men,the largest loss the war had seen. While Grant lost nearly twice as many men as Lee did, he could replace them. Lee could not, and he would never again mount a major offensive. Lee's surrender at Appomattox less than a year later was the denouement of the drama begun in those crucial forty days.

Wall Street Journal "[Wheelan's] prose fairly gallops across the page." Seattle Times "Well-written, diligently researched, and highly readable" Kirkus Reviews "Well-researched and argued--a text that Civil War scholars and buffs will consume with glee." Roanoke Times "Entertaining and informative" Civil War Roundtable of Washington, DC "In clear, concise, journalistic prose, filled with energetic verbs and colorful adjectives, Wheelan vividly recreates those critical days that permanently turned the tide of the war in the East. [The author's] rock-solid research and instructive anecdotes put events and personalities into a context that brings clarity to the bloodiest spring of the war." Blue & Gray Magazine, Vol. XXXI, #6 "The writing is crisp and flows; the narrative is detailed...A good introductory volume to the six weeks that were the beginning of the end of the Confederacy."

Joseph Wheelan is the author of eight previous books, including the highly-acclaimed Terrible Swift Sword and Jefferson's War. Before turning to writing books full time, Wheelan was a reporter and editor for The Associated Press for twenty-four years. He lives in Cary, North Carolina.