Lethal Glory is a collection of 15 Civil War defeats, some very dramatic, in which the victors, through incompetence or ignorance, never followed up on their accomplishments. What makes this book valuable is that it focuses on small as well as large actions. Thus, while the author focuses on some larger signal defeats like Fort Donelson, Fredericksburg and Pickett's charge, he also details many smaller actions, fights often overlooked by other writers. Engagements like Battery Wagner, Ball's Bluff, Fort Pillow and Centralia are reviewed in significant detail.