The Last Full Measure Jeff Shaara Final of the three Civil War novels written by Jeff & Michael Shaara, father and son.  Follows the events after Gettysburg and continues through the surrender at Appomattox.

The Shaara family Civil War trilogy continues in The Last Full Measure. In The Killer Angels, father Michael Shaara told the story of the battle of Gettysburg and events leading up to it. Jeffrey Shaara completes the trilogy with the prequel Gods and Generals and this book–the sequel.

The Last Full Measure picks up after Gettysburg, as Lee leaves Pennsylvania and begins a series of battles against his new opponent–Ulysses S. Grant. After losing Gettysburg and still trying to recover from the loss of his "right arm", Lee struggles in battle after battle with General Grant. The book follows the formula of the earlier two, telling the story from the point of view of the men who led armies on both side: Lee, Grant, and Joshua Chamberlain, who is eventually chosen by Grant to receive the formal surrender of weapons and colors. One of the more heartbreaking moments in the book occurs when Chamberlain orders his men to salute the defeated Confederates as they march by.  (An historically accurate fact).

The Last Full Measure is a fitting conclusion to a magnificent series and it definitely lives up to the standard set by the two earlier books. Once again, we are allowed to sympathize with the men on both sides and again question whether all the killing was really worth what was gained.