In "Courage Under Fire", award-winning historian Wiley Sword captures the fervour of a nation at war with itself; one pitting brother against brother. Through diaries and letters written on the battlefields, in camps, and even the deathbeds of soldiers from both the North and South, Sword lays bare the complexities and depth of a soldier's mind in coming to grips with life and death - even while his country, and often his family, is mercilessly ripped apart. From wives and mothers to the highest military figures, this compelling narrative features endless portraits in bravery and the often bloody consequences of war, revealing the fibre of America's soldiers, their worthy families, and what courage really means.