Book review: Grant, savior of the Union

Civil War and scholar Russell Bonds reviews H.W. Brands' "The Man Who Saved the Union," a sweeping look at Ulysses S. Grant and 19th century America. Writes Bonds: "Mr. Brands drives home one point on which detractors and admirers can agree: Time and again, Grant accomplished what he set his mind to." • Review

Book review: Memorable days in '65

A new book about the end of the Civil War focuses on the Union's rush to capture Jeff Davis and the 1,500-mile to return President Abraham Lincoln's remains to Illinois. According to publisher HarperCollins, "James Swanson masterfully weaves together the stories of two fallen leaders as they made their last expeditions through the bloody landscape of a wounded nation." • Review