Rather than a
comprehensive history of the Civil War, McPherson presents a series
of essays featuring: Lincoln as a political strategist and Commander
in Chief; the Mexican War and California's entry into the United
States as a free state; contrasts between commanders, notably
McClellan, DuPont, Grant and Farragut; and the horrors of
Reconstruction in the South.
Other chapters deal
with philosophical questions such as: Liberty; What is a Just War;
How the objectives of anti-slavery and winning the war came together
to produce the Emancipation Proclamation.
Several of the
chapters, such as the ones on “Mexico, California and the Coming of
the Civil War”, and “Death and Destruction in the Civil War”
critique the books of other historians. I particularly enjoyed the
chapter on how California entered the United States as a free as
opposed to slave state. I had never read some of that history. It is
fascinating and adds another dimension to the tensions leading to the
conflict.
I highly recommend
this book. Whether you're a Civil War scholar, or just enjoy reading
history, this is a book that will captivate you. The discussions of
liberty, just war, and what Lincoln's legacy means for our times are
well worth reading for anyone looking at today's political situation.
I reviewed this book
for the Amazon Vine Program.
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