A central element of General U.S. Grant's siege of the Confederate capital of Richmond was a 500-foot mine that was dug under one of the defenders' artillery batteries, and then filled with four tons of gunpowder. The subsequent infantry attack through the "Crater" cost more than 4,000 Union soldiers their lives, and still failed to break the Confederate lines. In this first book-length account of this pivotal battle, Hess (history, Lincoln Memorial University) marshals newly discovered archival and archaeological sources to examine the battle of the Crater in all of its aspects, including the strategies of the opposing generals and the experiences of Union and Rebel soldiers in close combat. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)