The Civil War was not only a war of armies but also a war of ideas, in which Union and Confederacy alike identified itself as a moral nation with God on its side. In this watershed book, Harry S. Stout measures the gap between those claims and the war's actual conduct. Ranging from the home front to the trenches and drawing on a wealth of contemporary documents, Stout explores the lethal mix of propaganda and ideology that came to justify slaughter on and off the battlefield.
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The Civil War was not only a war of armies but also a war of ideas, in which Union and Confederacy alike identified itself as a moral nation with God on its side. In this watershed book, Harry S. Stout measures the gap between those claims and the war's actual conduct. Ranging from the home front to the trenches and drawing on a wealth of contemporary documents, Stout explores the lethal mix of propaganda and ideology that came to justify slaughter on and off the battlefield.
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Seller's Description:
Acceptable. Book has liquid or water damage on pages. The spine/binding has been reinforced with book tape or binding glue. All pages intact. Ships same or next business day with delivery confirmation. Acceptable condition. Contains highlighting. Expedited shipping available.
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Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
This is an outstanding book. It wrestles with the question of why the war was fought, and how attitudes on both sides evolved during the war. Its thesis, that the war was about the Union and not slavery, is not original, but it is well argued. My criticisms would be that it goes a bit too far in trying to be fair to Southern slaveholders and those who fought and died for their "right" to own, torture and rape slaves; perhaps understandable in an author from deep in Yankee territory (Yale). A lesser criticism would be numerous details that most civil war buffs would catch immediately: during the battle of Shiloh, the Southerners threatened but never closely approached Pittsburgh Landing (which was distant from the famed "Peach Orchard"). Stout also makes an uncited judgment against Lincoln's "micromanagement" of the war in the East. One might conclude that he is defending McClellan's generalship, but elsewhere in the book the future Presidential candidate's inadequacies, as well as his political opinions are explored in depth.
