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Why They Fought: The Real Reason For The Civil War (2011)

by David von Drehle(Favorite Author)

3.87 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Time

review 1: This short book (I read it in two hours, distracted while my fellow students were giving some painfully boring presentations in class) presents the argument that the South in the American Civil War was motivated primarily by a desire to extend and maintain slavery. My main criticism is that the author relied on public documents: public speeches and documents made by Southern and Northern political leaders. I would argue that these sources fail to present a true picture of the real reason the South went to war against the North. More likely, the Southern leaders realized that their business interests were threatened in several ways, and one of which was the threat against slavery. Racism -- the fear of miscegenation, etc. -- played a part in the public support for the w... morear in the South, and a desire of poor Whites in the South to be higher in the social ladder than slaves also played a role.This book gets 4 stars because it provides a clear, succinct explanation of the "slavery caused the War" argument, the best presentation of the evidence I've seen considering the length. I recommend it.
review 2: If you think David von Drehle's book is irrelevant, please consider these two anecdotes witnessed by me, a new resident to the South, only a few mere weeks ago.1) When touring Georgia's State Capitol, I was horrified when the government-paid tour guide pointed to a large picture of Alexander Stephens, who was governor of Georgia at the outbreak of the Civil War and the eventual vice president of the Confederacy, and told the group of elementary students also on the tour that Mr. Stephens "didn't like the North telling him what to do, so he decided to fight to protect the good people of Georgia." She went on to talk about the War of Northern Aggression like it was fact.2) The next day, I toured a nearby plantation-turned-historical-landmark. There was a video, several reading materials and a state park employee acting as a guide, and not ONE of these avenues mentioned the slaves that ran the plantation. Once, on the video, it was said that Sherman burned the plantation, and that the plantation owner lost "his property." When I asked the state park employee how the plantation owner treated his slaves, she crinkled her nose in disgust and avoided the conversation.So, when Time ran a condensed version of David von Drehle's book as its cover story to mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, I found the topic exceptionally intriguing.I've lived in the South a mere matter of months, and I've been left with no doubt that the reasons America fought this war are clouded to the people who live in the areas where the war hurt most.This book gave me the perspective I desperately need before I go on anymore local sightseeing adventures =D less

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