Embattled Rebel
James M. McPherson, Embattled Rebel: Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Civil War (W. W. Norton, 2017)
Summary: Less a biography of Jefferson Davis and more a politico-military history of the war from his perspective. A fascinating peek into the challenges the Confederates faced, not least with each other. Bureaucracy, logistics, strategy, and personality.
Key Quote: "No other chief executive in American history exercised such hands-on influence in the shaping of military strategy." - p. 11
Bottom Line: Read this book if you want to understand why the South (fought and) lost.
