This is a book for men and young men. I'm not saying women and young women cannot eaveadrop on the conversation and enjoy it, but the topic, and especially the way it is written are firmly rooted in the male world. 
 Basically, the book presents an introverted accounting of a single battle in the Civil War. This is the young man, Henry Flemings, first battle and he is nervous about how he will aquit himself and what his performance will illuminate about himself to himself and others. Very predictably for an account written by an adolescent, the narrative fluctuates from narcissistic absorption to self-deprecating criticism. 
 I found the book painful to read. In essence we all see our world and it's happenings from the perspective of self at the center. This was convicting to me. Sure, Fleming is immature, but reading this shows me while I'm not as young as he is, I still have a long way to go. 
 I also found the book to be plodding (as battles often are). Some readers will be put off by the high vocabulary level and descriptive writing form of Crane's time, but I didn't mind this. There is some graphic content here that will be difficult for more sensitive readers to handle. Battles and death in it's many forms are vividly portrayed. I was particularly intrigued by Crane's use of color to set/ change a scene, give symbolism and vibrance to an account. 
 All that said, I couldn't give more stars because in the end, I just didn't like Henry Flemming. Even the moment of redemption which comes at the end was not satisfying to me... I found him to be painfully realistic, but not inspiring. But perhaps this is merely the inadequate perspective of a women looking into the male world...