Series:
Zenith Graphic Histories
Biographical note:
Writer and artist Wayne Vansant was the primary artist for Marvel's The 'Nam for more than five years. Since then, he has written and illustrated many historically accurate graphic histories, such as The Hammer and the Anvil; The Vietnam War: A Graphic History; Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe (Zenith Press, 2012); Gettysburg: The Graphic History of America's Most Famous Battle and the Turning Point of the Civil War (Zenith Press, 2013); Grant vs. Lee: The Graphic History of the Civil War's Greatest Rivals During the Last Year of the War (Zenith Press, 2013); Bombing Nazi Germany: The Graphic History of the Allied Air Campaign That Defeated Hitler in World War II (Zenith Press, 2013); and The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI (Zenith Press, 2014). He is currently working on The Battle of the Bulge: A Graphic History of Allied Victory in the Ardennes, 1944-1945 (Zenith Press, 2014) for the 70th anniversary of the battle in December 2014.
Main description:
Grant vs. Lee tells the dramatic story of the final year of the Civil War in Virginia - a bloody and unyielding fight for both sides - through the eyes of the two greatest Civil War generals: the North's Ulysses S. Grant and the South's Robert E. Lee. The long and violent campaigns that took place from 1864-1865 (the Overland Campaign, Petersburg Campaign, and Appomattox Campaign) represent the beginning of modern warfare. By this point of the war, both sides employed seasoned and hardened soldiers who looked past the Victorian sensibilities of the gentleman soldier and understood that there would be no falling back. By the end of 1864, both sides built trenches and mounted attacks to break each other's lines. There was a stalemate that winter. Grant's forces had superior numbers and supplies and by March 1865 they pushed Lee's army out of the trenches at Petersburg and took Richmond, the Confederate capital. Lee's dwindling forces retreated west, looking for food and other Southern forces to help continue the fight. After a bitter final battle at Sailor's Creek, Lee's army was surrounded by Union forces at Appomattox Court House. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant and the Civil War was over. Beautifully illustrated and vastly researched, Grant vs. Lee is a dramatic, illustrated introduction to one of the most pivotal years in American history.
Review quote:
"Grant vs. Lee conveys the desperation and high stakes of the war’s final, grueling campaigns, whose movements are often overlooked in Civil War studies. The detailed illustrations help readers to envision the events as they unfolded and will give them a new appreciation of these battles and campaigns." - Bert Dunkerly, Park Ranger, Richmond National Battlefield Park and author of The Civil War in Virginia, The Confederate Surrender at Greensboro, and Old Ninety Six
"Well researched and excellently told, the real history from the Wilderness to Appomattox using primary sources is brought to life with captivating illustrations. The last year of the war comes alive in Grant vs. Lee from the private soldier to the generals themselves. An engaging read for all ages." -Patrick Schroeder, Historian, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
"Grant vs. Lee is a graphic illustrated treatment of the all important 1864 Overland Campaign between the two most iconic Civil War generals. In less than 100 illustrated pages, the important aspects of the campaign are vividly recounted, with a remarkable degree of attention to accuracy and historical integrity. The illustrations add to the narrative, making for a compelling and enjoyable read." - Robert I. Girardi, author of The Civil War Generals, and past president of the Civil War Round Table of Chicago
