"Any reader seeking to honestly confront what the Civil War had become by 1864—and why Americans often avoid the hard truths about the war—would do well to consult this book."—Benjamin G. Cloyd, Journal of Southern History
"Chick's assessments of the battles for Petersburg in June 1864 are well written and provide much needed detail on the often forgotten battles. For anyone studying the Petersburg Campaign, the book is a must."—Michael Hardy, Blue & Gray Magazine
“This book is a rarity among Civil War books. The writing is excellent. The research is top notch. And, best of all, Sean Chick has the courage to put the blame for the failure of the Petersburg assaults of June 15–18, 1864, where it belongs. This book deserves an award.”—Bryce A. Suderow, coauthor of The Petersburg Campaign, volume 2: The Western Front Battles, September 1864–April 1865, winner of the 2014 Douglas Southall Freeman History Award
“For the first time in nearly twenty-five years, the Second Battle of Petersburg gets its due in book form. Sean Chick takes a look at the four-day battle in June 1864 that could have ended the war in the east nine months sooner. Chick takes readers through the ebb and flow of battle, leaning on the official records but also drawing from a multitude of first-person accounts. The result is a solid battle study, one that any Siege of Petersburg aficionado will want to own.”—Brett Schulte, editor of The Siege of Petersburg Online
“For serious students of the Petersburg campaign of 1864, a new and exciting history of the battles of June 15–18 is now available. . . . With new discoveries included, the author has written an insightful, engaging, and eloquent narrative of the bungled Federal attacks during which Grant had multiple opportunities to capture Petersburg, Virginia.”—James H. Blankenship Jr., historian
