I really enjoyed this book! In my opinion, much better than his WW2 book, "Band of Brothers" I am unfamiliar with US western history & this account left me wanting to know more. Ambrose deals with both central characters with an admirable objectivity. Rare in this type of "comparative" history. The war & battle sequences are described in a clear & exciting manner. The heavier political, social, historical developments are presented without detracting from the entertaining & fast moving account. Ambrose has a tendency towards a delivery that is occasionally too melodramatic & an over useage of colloquial language that seems slightly inappropriate for a serious history. Over all I found the book very well researched, gripping & an absolute delight to read. Highly recommended for lovers of military history. Deduct one star rating for the inclusion of the worst, smallest & almost uninterpretable maps I have encountered in print. Why did you let this happen Mr. Ambrose?