'Vicksburg is the key . . . the war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.' So Abraham Lincoln viewed this Confederate stronghold, given its strategic position in controlling trade along the Mississippi. Historian Dossman deeply investigates this decisive battle and the result is a surprisingly readable narrative that draws in the wealth of scholarship available on this subject. Endnotes, a bibliographic essay, and an index add to the work's value. VERDICT: A scholarly yet accessible overview of this turning-point battle for larger Civil War collections.