“This well-written and readable monograph is more than a recitation of the facts. It is an analysis of the evolution and events of Andersonville, the most notorious prison of the war. Marvel’s book is a valuable contribution to the historiography of Civil War prisons.” — Historian
“Fine style: footnoted enough for the scholar, thoroughly readable for everyone else, and studded with lots of contemporary photos.” — Kliatt
“William Marvel’s Andersonville: The Last Depot appears to be the first history of the prison to take a genuinely objective approach to the question of how and to what ends Confederate authorities established and operated the prison. . . . He presents it in a fluid narrative. The pity is that . . . passions still run so high that in some quarters he will have no chance of a fair hearing.” — Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post
“Readers will welcome this well-written, provocative narrative.” — CHOICE
“An authoritative history of the camp. . . . A masterful job of historical detective work.” — History: Reviews of New Books
“Succeeds in addressing significant questions in Civil War historiography and interpretation through vivid presentation of the lives and experiences of ordinary soldiers — prisoners and their captors. . . . A remarkable scholarly and literary achievement, a genuinely pathbreaking book that provides definitive answers to more than a century’s worth of questions and controversy.” — Lincoln Prize Citation
“A thorough, balanced account.” — Journal of American History
“A fascinating account of this shadowy corner of Confederate history.” — Civil War Regiments
“The best account of the tragedy of Andersonville that we have or are likely to have. Not afraid to address controversial issues, [Marvel] analyzes the reasons for the suffering and dying impartially and makes clear that Henry Wirz was a victim of passions that played a larger role than evidence in the postwar trial that convicted him of war crimes. This book is a model for studies of other Civil War prisons, which are much needed.” — James M. McPherson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Era of the Civil War
“This is a long-overdue, first-rate study. The author’s approach is scholarly and even-handed.” — James Robertson, Richmond Times-Dispatch
