There is something to be said for telling an old story a new way. It felt quite refreshing to look at the last year of the Civil War in Scott Ellsworth's Midnight on the Potomac. Ellsworth pieces together short, impactful vignettes of the North and South as the Civil War came to a close.

I would characterize the book as a gateway to history reading. If someone who didn't normally read history wanted a recommendation for a Civil War book which was short but entertaining, then I would recommend this one. That's not to say there aren't some new nuggets in here for buffs, though. The best parts of the book are when Ellsworth looks at a singular person who isn't written about anywhere else. For instance, I'd venture to say Amanda Akin, a Civil War nurse, is not generally highlighted in most literature on the war. Even though these sections can be short, they are not forgettable and they do add a new view to the proceedings. This is no small feat as I have run into a lot of books which just go off on a tangent rather than providing meaningful insights to background players.

Simply, if you don't know the Civil War and are even a little bit interested, pick this one up. If you have read a lot on the subject, then there is still some new things in here even if you know the high points. You'll still enjoy the ride.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)

I like my history books easy to read and follow, not be bogged down with big words and over the edge embellishments from authors out to impress with their intellect. I found that in this writing.

An understandable rendition of the last year of the Civil War, the Lincoln assassination, and the rebuilding of the traumatized nation. How far have we come? How far do we still need to go? This book makes you think of these questions and many more.

Recommended!

This was a wonderful book—thought-provoking, as few books on this subject are. The author takes you through a lot of material that has never been reviewed in this manner before.

This book is quite an ambitious undertaking. Ellsworth basically tells the story of the entire Civil War and brings it forward through Reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement, and today. The main focus was on the final year of the war, but his style is to set the stage for a particular battle, leave it with a bit of a cliffhanger, then move to a completely different story in time or place. I think Civil War buffs may enjoy the book because they will be able to follow it. I got lost in all the back-and-forth, unfortunately.
The appended notes are the kind I like - full of additional stories and information. I think this could be a useful book for a Civil War researcher.

Are you interested in American history, especially American Civil War history? Can you name in detail what all happened during the the last 12 months of that war? How much do you know about all the conspiracies, plots, and personalities involved on both sides? If you do not, Scott Ellsworth has a deal for you with his book Midnight on the Potomac!

Scott Ellsworth organized Midnight on the Potomac in the style of a play with three acts, two intermissions, and and an afterword. Act One covered Grant's move south to The Wilderness and on to Spotsylvania and then Petersburg, the Jubal Early invasion that almost took Washington, a look at President Lincoln, the growing number of contrabands around Washington, and the nadir of Lincoln's chances for reelection. The First Intermission was a visit to Richmond (VA) with a look at the morale and fighting spirit of the South. Act Two opens with conspiracies and plots being hatched around Lake Erie and in Canada and the introduction of the Booth family with their conflicted loyalties. Atlanta falls to Sherman and he heads east to the sea. Plots are hatched and activated to kidnapped President Lincoln before Election Day (November 8, 1865) and to to burn down New York City. The Second Intermission was a look at Christmastime in Washington and Richmond. Act Three opens with Lewis Powell who hailed from Florida in Washington trying for a shot at Lincoln while blacks joined the Union army and others pushed for basic civil rights such as education. Booth was still trying to kidnap Lincoln when Lincoln gave his 2nd Inaugural Address on a rainy March day. Then there was the visit by Lincoln to City Point (VA) to confer with General Grant which led to April 2, 1865 with the final assault on Petersburg followed quickly by the fall of Richmond and the chase of the Army of Virginia that ended at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. Then Booth got his shot at eternal infamy when he assassinated Lincoln on April 14, 1865.The Third Act ends with a summary of the end of the Civil War and the chase for Booth and his co-conspirators. The Aftermath opens with an interview of D. W. Griffith and Walter Huston on the making of The Birth of a Nation and then goes on to highlight the twisting of historical events in the service of The Lost Cause, the legacies of John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln along with all who served and died to preserve the Union and set the country free.

So if you want to learn about the end of the American Civil War with all its warts and triumphs, pick up Scott Ellswoth's Midnight on the Potomac and dive in!

A nicely executed non-fiction history of the Civil War. I fully expected recycled material and was pleasantly surprised with the new facts presented. Ellsworth delivers a well-researched and engaging read.

Highly recommend history buffs add this to your 2025 TBR. Pub Date Jul 15 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
#MidnightOnThePotomac #NetGalley

I read thousands of pages of history each year. I know it can be dry and more than a little dense, even when it is informative. That is one of the reasons I so appreciated Scott Ellsworth's Midnight on the Potomac. The end of the Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln have been written about many times. But Ellsworth's book is one of the most readable I have come across. It is informative, but totally engaging. Written in an easy style, it never bogs down - it moves at a good pace and has the reader turning pages and wanting to keep going. And yet it also imparts little known information and broadens the reader's perspective on the crucial last phases of the war. I came away from the book decidedly knowing more than when I started - without ever becoming bored and wishing he would just move on.

My one complaint is that I wanted more. Specifically, the subtitle of the book includes "the rebirth of America." Ellsworth does address this a bit - in his afterward - but I expected to see more about this in the main text. And given how much I enjoyed what let up to that point, I was interested in what he would have to say..

A pretty good compliment when the biggest complaint about a book is not wanting it to be over. A solid read, even for the well-read scholar of the topic and era.

I really liked this book. There are so many Civil War histories in the marketplace that it is rare to read something that feels fresh. The author did a great job presenting facts (some known, some new to me) in an engaging way. I especially enjoyed the author's prose, and his ability to make connections among seemingly disparate timelines, ideas and impacts across many generations.

Very informative and well thought out historical non-fiction. VERY applicable for our current events and a realization that even 100+ years later we, as a country, really are still arguing about the same issues.

Midnight on the Potomac is a very good read. The book started a little slowly but the pace quickened and ended very strong. Scott Ellsworth has focused on the last year of the Civil War--and a tumultuous year it was.

The book details the efforts by the Confederacy to continue a fight they were doomed to lose, with several major battles highlighted: the fall and burning of Atlanta, the siege of Petersburg, and Sherman's march to Savannah. Against this background is the conspiracy to first kidnap, and then eventually assassinate Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth and his band of terrorists. Insights into Lincoln, his thoughts, and interactions with his family during the year are also appreciated.

The book contains a lot of details I had not read in other books on the Civil War. This adds to the narrative. The final chapters, leading up to the surrender at Appomattox and the visit to Ford's theater and aftermath provide a strong finish to the book.

If you enjoy books about the Civil War this should be part of your reading list. I give the book a 4.25 rating, rounded to 4 stars.

I want to thank author Scott Elsworth, Publisher Dutton, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. I attest the review is my own unbiased work.

Midnight on the Potomac does a wonderful job of encapsulating the last year of The Civil War. Author, Scott Ellsworth, closely follows a multitude of key events, including the crucial Battle of the Wilderness, the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Lee's reelection and the story of John Wilkes Booth. In this relentlessly researched book, Ellsworth brings new information to light.

My only criticism of the book is that the author seems to be working a bit too hard to dispel the narrative of the Lost Cause narrative. It's one thing to take issue with a long-held narrative. But the author's position felt like it was almost a crusade to dispel the narrative. A telling of history needs to be a balanced process. As with virtually everything, there are always two sides to a story.. In my humble opinion, he went too far in the other direction in his criticism of this perspective. It just felt a bit too unbalanced in my personal opinion.

But other than that, I totally enjoyed this book.

I was so excited when I received this ARC, and I was not disappointed. This was so well written that I couldn't put it down. I am a history buff, and I was so engrossed by the retelling of such a dark time in our history. The author did an amazing job with the way he presented the material. It was heartbreaking but gave you hope at the same time. This novel was well researched and revealed new information that has not been revealed about the Civil War and the Emancipation. I highly recommend this book for history lovers. I am planning on buying the physical copy when it releases in July of 2025.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Penguin Random House!