I mostly read fiction. Mysteries, with some action/adventure thrown into the mix. But on rare occasions I read some non-fiction. This is one of my rare non-fiction readings.
[NOTE: The image is for the audiobook version, but I read the paperback version. I just couldn’t locate an image of the paperback.]
Those of you who know me and have followed this blog know that I am a bit of a Civil War aficionado. I like visiting Civil War battlefields. And there is no question that those years, 1861-1865, did much to shape our country into what it is today. Because it was so important I want to understand it and Bruce Catton’s 3-volume trilogy, which a friend loaned to me, is a good way to achieve some understanding. The Coming Fury, the first volume in that trilogy, is about the events and the politics that preceded the war. It ends with the first battle of Bull Run – the battle that finally convinced the nation that this would be a long, brutal conflict.
I learned a lot. Lincoln’s nomination to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate in 1860 was not a lock. He was a long shot, really, but had a good campaign manager. Some of his early speeches were far from eloquent. He was viewed as incompetent, at first, by many people in government. The Confederacy, consisting of 6 states, existed before Fort Sumter was taken. The fighting at Fort Sumter was nearly bloodless with the only two casualties occurring during the ceremonial striking of the US flag after surrendering. Baltimore was so pro-secessionist that trains carrying Union troops to Washington to defend the capital had to be diverted.
While many men – including Lincoln – wanted desperately to avoid bloodshed, passions about slavery ran so deep that there was never a serious attempt to find a compromise solution. A compromise was probably not possible anyway. A civil war was the inevitable result.
A good, well-written and scholarly book. I am looking forward to the other two volumes. 7 out of 10,