I've had this book on my shelf for years and finally forced myself to read it. The first 400 pages were a chore. The book was somewhat dry, but mostly I wasn't in the mood. The last 300 pages were very interesting. I don't think the book changed — I think I simply got caught up in the story. In short, Jefferson Davis was a man I would not have liked. He was opinionated, stubborn and always convinced he was right. He loved his wife dearly, but even with her he was proud and insisted on getting his own way always. He wasn't evil, but he was woefully wrong, and that wrongness contributed in a large degree to the lenth and severity of the Civil War.