The Battle Hymn of the Republic: A Biography of the Song That Marches On

It was sung at Ronald Reagan's funeral, and adopted with new lyrics by labor radicals. John Updike quoted it in the title of one of his novels, and George W. Bush had it performed at the memorial service in the National Cathedral for victims of September 11, 2001. Perhaps no other song has held such a profoundly significant—and contradictory—place in America's history and cultural memory than the "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

In this sweeping study, John Stauffer and Benjamin Soskis sho...