In Armies of Deliverance, Elizabeth Varon offers both a sweeping narrative of the Civil War and a bold new interpretation of Union and Confederate war aims. For teachers reluctant to assign a single text because students protest the anodyne feel of textbooks, the strength of Varon's argument makes this book a welcome choice....Her narrative carries the story with remarkable effectiveness and concision. She captures the contingency of battles, the unpredictability of commanders, and the fickleness of public opinion. As befits a history of the Civil War, military history plays a key role. Her emphasis on campaign-level movement, with occasional detours through the tactics of major encounters, ensures that readers understand the outcomes.