Judgment at Appomattox

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The fifth historical novel of New York Times bestselling author Ralph Peters's breathtaking, Boyd Award-winning Civil War series

Written with the literary flair and historical accuracy readers expect from Ralph Peters, Judgment at Appomattox takes readers through the Civil War’s last grim interludes of combat as flags fall and hearts break.

A great war nears its end. Robert E. Lee makes a desperate, dramatic gamble that fails. Richmond falls. Each day brings new combat and more casualties, as Lee’s exhausted, hungry troops race to preserve the Confederacy. But Grant does not intend to let Lee escape. . . . In one of the most thrilling episodes in American history, heroes North and South battle each other across southern Virginia as the armies converge on a sleepy country court house.

Capping the author’s acclaimed five-novel cycle on the war in the East, this “dramatized history” pays homage to all the soldiers who fought, from an Irish-immigrant private wearing gray, to the “boy generals” who mastered modern war. This is a grand climax to a great, prize-winning series that honors—and reveals—America’s past.

Reviews

“The final volume of Ralph Peters’ series on the epic story of the Army of the Potomac and Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg to Appomattox lives up to the standard of high drama of its predecessors. Here is fiction firmly rooted in historical sources, dialogue that reflects the genuine vernacular, personalities true to the characters they portray. If you thought you knew the Civil War, read these books to discover how much you still had to learn.” —James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom

“Ralph Peters makes history come alive. His vivid prose captures the burdens of command, the horrors and exhilarations of combat, the hopes and fears of the soldiers—all with deep respect for historical accuracy. Grant and Lee, Meade and Longstreet, Sheridan and Gordon, and so many other historical figures emerge from these pages as living, breathing human beings, teeming with the range of motives and emotions that mark the human condition.” —Richard J. Sommers, author of Richmond Redeemed: The Siege of Petersburg

“Ralph Peters makes you see, taste, smell and hear battle and brings to vivid life the long-dead warriors who fought the Civil War. His award-winning Civil War series is fascinating reading.” —Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of War

“Ralph Peters brings to life the dramatic story of the largely overlooked—yet most significant—campaign of the Civil War. The reader becomes part of the armies, from Fort Stedman to Lee’s surrender. Another riveting narrative by this prolific author.” —Patrick A. Schroeder, Historian, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

“Once again a master of historical military fiction has made real the sound and fury of the Civil War.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Superlative . . . [Peters] excels at bringing well-known historical characters to life [and] captures the harsh realities of common soldiers caught in the crossfire of horrific historical circumstances . . . a master martial historian. An absolute must-read for Civil War buffs.” —Booklist

“For those who want to truly understand what the war was like for the men who fought and endured it, there is no better reference than Ralph Peters’ five Civil War novels . . . superbly researched, richly imagined, brilliantly written.” —America’s Civil War

“Epic . . . battles explode from Ralph Peters’ pen . . . with his five-novel masterwork—from Gettysburg to Appomattox—Peters has become one of our most important historians.” —Washington Times

About the Author

Ralph Peters is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former enlisted man, a controversial strategist and veteran of the intelligence world; a bestselling, prize-winning novelist; a journalist who has covered multiple conflicts and appears frequently in the broadcast media; and a lifelong traveler with experience in over seventy countries on six continents. A widely read columnist, Ralph Peters' journalism has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines and web-zines, including The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Harpers, and Armchair General Magazine. His books include The Officers’ Club, The War After Armageddon, Endless War, and Red Army. Peters grew up in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, and studied writing at Pennsylvania State University. He lives and writes in the Washington, D.C. area.