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1861: The Civil War Awakening (2011)

by Adam Goodheart(Favorite Author)

4.02 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1400040159 (ISBN13: 9781400040155)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Knopf

review 1: Goodheart gives great insight into the events leading up to the Civil War. One would think this has been well covered by other books, but Goodheart tells the events from the perspective of everyday citizens and the thoughts and fears of the time. The Wide Awake movement was very interesting. This is a very good addendum to anyone who likes to read about the Civil War and wants to dig beneath the stories of Lincoln, Lee, Sherman and the other leaders trust into the center stage of history.
review 2: As a life-long student of American history, I know quite a bit about the period of the Civil War. But this book by Adam Goodheart about the opening months of the Civil War was simply fascinating. Goodheart examines the goals, aspirations, and hopes of the people ... moreinvolved in the Civil War in every section of the country. And he is able to bring 1861 to life by filling the book with accounts of the lives of people--both well-known and more obscure--who played a part in the beginning of the conflict. Goodheart's book serves as a reminder that history is not only composed of decisions and actions of political and military leaders but that it is also driven by the everyday decisions made by millions of citizens who are trying quietly to live their lives. People as different as James Garfield, Benjamin "Spoons" Butler, Abby Kelly Foster, Abner Doubleday, William Sherman, and Jessie Fremont fill the pages along with hundreds of others. This is a fascinating book that propels readers into the complexities that grippled the United States in the opening months of the Civil War and serves as a reminder that the "what ifs" in history can be as interesting and important as the events that eventually unfold. less

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