The War Lords of Washington

by Bruce Catton

First Edition.

Genres: History, Civil War

313 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Bruce Catton was a distinguished American historian and journalist, best known for his influential writings on the American Civil War. Renowned for his narrative style, Catton brought history to life through richly drawn characters, vivid battlefield descriptions, and a deep understanding of the political and emotional forces that shaped the era. His accessible yet meticulously researched books made him one of the most popular historians of the twentieth century.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.

Reviews

[Darryl]

A very interesting book that describes how government, industry and labor started preparing for war in 1939, yet not surprisingly, our country was totally ill-prepared when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor...mostly because of in-fighting and distrust between the various parties. As the country was coming out of the worst depression ever, the government realized that war was imminent, so various committees were established to assess our inventory of armaments, natural resources that would be needed to fight a prolonged war, and the infrastructure that would be needed to manufacture the various goods and materials. The government also had to figure out a way to communicate all these critical issues, including the need for rationing, to a public that was largely uninterested in fighting another European war.

[George]

Published in 1948, this is Bruce Catton’s (better known for his books on the Civil War) analysis of how the U.S. mobilized its economy to fight WW II then demobilized it at the end of the war and the people responsible for this. It describes how government, industry and labor started preparing for war in 1939, yet was still totally unprepared when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It is a recounting of how the political infighting and distrust between the various parties continually hindered efforts. How the selfish antics of the War Department (both the civilian and military leaders) who believed the people on the home front could not be trusted to fully support the war effort and some of the “dollar a year men” deluded the American people and took control thus preventing the U.S. from realizing its true industrial potential and then completely messed up the process to return the economy to peace time status.

[Eliza]

Much more interesting than I thought a book could be that focused on a period of only about 6 years.

[Davy Bennet Surf]

I loved Bruce Catton's Civil War books, I have read a few.

This is a big departure from 1948 (mine a white hardback from 1969).

Catton is focused here on American unpreparedness for WW2.

He takes a hard turn to the conspirational radical right.



You know better, but honestly, the book when I first saw it seemed like that at first glance. It shocked me....for a quick minute.