Ordeal of the Union, Vol 1: Fruits of Manifest Destiny, 1847-52/A House Dividing, 1852-57

Ordeal of the Union

by Allan Nevins

In this volume Allan Nevins concludes his definitive history of the American Civil War. There is the bloody grinding-down of Confederate resolve, as the Union Army burns Atlanta, Sherman marches to the sea, Lee fails at Gettysburg, and the slow death grip between two great armies in the Battle of the Wilderness winds down into Appomattox. As these events take center stage, Nevins never forgets the importance of the economic build-up of the North, and the ways the exigencies of war served to create a new concept and new techniques of organization.

Genres: Civil War, American History, History, American Civil War, Nonfiction, Military History

1183 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Allan Nevins was an American historian and journalist, renowned for his extensive work on the history of the Civil War and his biographies of such figures as President Grover Cleveland, Hamilton Fish, Henry Ford, and John D. Rockefeller.

Reviews

[Bill Ardis · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, the description of this book is incorrect. It covers the period between 1847-1857(starting at the end of the Mexican-American War and ends with the election of Buchanan). This is a very engaging and thorough history of this period. There is a lot on information, but I never was bored. Nevins examines not only the political conflicts brought about by the issue of slavery, but the social, economic, and cultural ones as well.