false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172549897m/189657.jpg 189657 5 The bloodiest day in United States history was September 17, 1862, when, during the Civil War battle at Antietam, close to 6,500 soldiers were killed or mortally wounded and another 15,000 were seriously wounded. Moreover, James M. McPherson states in his concise chronicle of the event <I>Crossroads of Freedom</I>, it may well have been the pivotal moment of the war and possibly of the young republic itself. The South, after a series of setbacks in the spring of 1862, had reversed the war's momentum during the summer, and was on not only on the "brink of military victory" but about to achieve diplomatic recognition by European nations, most notably England and France. Though the bulk of his book concerns itself with the details--and incredible carnage--of the battle itself, McPherson raises it above typical military histories by placing it in its socio-political context: The victory prodded Abraham Lincoln to announce his "preliminary" Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves. England and France deferred their economic alliance with the battered secessionists. Most importantly, it kept Lincoln's party, the Republicans, in control of Congress. McPherson's account is accessible, elegant, and economical. <I>--H. O'Billovich</I> 312557 2002 Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam (Pivotal Moments in American History) total:116|5:23|4:57|3:30|2:5|1:1| 116 444 148 23 3 2 false false Sat Sep 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 11 00:54:17 -0700 2008 Sat Jan 10 00:37:57 -0800 2009 whoosh) to an end, I simply felt way too much ground was being covered in too short a space (156 pages, excluding endnotes, etc.). On the good side, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam is a marvel of economy. McPherso...more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Jun 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 09:30:39 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 05 09:07:49 -0700 2009 Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam. This is the second book I have read by James M. McPherson, the first being What They Fought For 1861-1865. I enjoyed the previous book considerably more. Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, while accurate, was really quite boring. A book th...more...]]> 3 1 false false Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Fri Jun 15 09:21:02 -0700 2007 Fri Jun 15 09:23:56 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 1 false false Fri Aug 29 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 24 20:31:29 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 30 21:08:40 -0700 2008 This book makes me want to read Battle Cry of Freedom, Macpherson's general history of hte Civil War. He's ...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Jan 10 08:58:43 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 10 09:00:32 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Fri Nov 13 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 13 06:04:37 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 13 06:14:05 -0800 2009 1 more...]]> 3 1 false false Thu May 22 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 25 18:04:46 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 15:43:34 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sun Mar 22 20:14:31 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 05:36:51 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 20:14:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Feb 24 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 16:52:24 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 16:55:39 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Oct 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 19:31:15 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 21:56:44 -0700 2009
I did enjoy this book. I've found that I like history of important events. The bat...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Nov 21 17:50:15 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 17:52:28 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Nov 22 18:35:28 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 22 18:36:52 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Wed May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed May 13 05:42:49 -0700 2009 Tue May 26 06:06:02 -0700 2009
]]> 5 0 false false Mon Nov 02 20:31:58 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 20:32:31 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sat Nov 21 09:11:41 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 09:11:41 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Feb 18 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 06 06:46:24 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 09:55:12 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Thu Aug 28 13:34:18 -0700 2008 Thu Aug 28 13:43:52 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu May 31 06:16:46 -0700 2007 Thu May 31 06:17:16 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Sat Sep 13 14:12:24 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 13 14:14:58 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Sat Jul 21 09:02:12 -0700 2007 Sat Jul 21 09:02:58 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=189657