The Shattering of the Union - (American Crisis Series: Books on the Civil War Era) by Eric H Walther (Paperback)

About the Book

The 1850s offered the last remotely feasible chance for the United States to steer clear of Civil War. Yet fundamental differences between North and South about slavery and the meaning of freedom caused political conflicts to erupt again and again throughout the decade as the ...

Book Synopsis

The 1850s offered the last remotely feasible chance for the United States to steer clear of Civil War. Yet fundamental differences between North and South about slavery and the meaning of freedom caused political conflicts to erupt again and again throughout the decade as the country lurched toward secession and war. The Shattering of the Union is a concise, readable analysis and survey of the major ideas and events that resulted in the Civil War. The first scholarly synthesis of America's final antebellum decade to be published in more than twenty years, this essential overview incorporates methods and findings by recognized historians on politics, society, race relations, ideology, and slavery. This book is a fascinating look at one of the pivotal decades in U.S. history.

Review Quotes

Eric Walther's The Shattering of the Union is an accessible, very readable account of the turbulent 1850s. This lively survey juxtaposes political, social, and cultural history with the voices and stories of the famous and the obscure in ways that should appeal to many different kinds of readers.

In this vivid narrative, Eric Walther brings to life the passionate and violent debate over slavery that shook the American Republic to its foundations in the 1850s. Rendering understandable the complex events of this period whie avoiding simplification, Walther's lively and compelling text recaptures the tenor of the political upheaval of this most critical decade.

Walther's narrative and analysis of the growing sectional crisis of the 1850s is a masterful blend of the general and particular, and although the events in the book are familiar, Walther's telling of the story is fresh, insightful, and cogent. This is a major contribution to the history and historiography of the coming of the Civil War. Highly recommended. All levels and collections.

With The Shattering of the Union, Eric Walther has given us an engaging, fast-paced narrative covering the last decade of the American journey to Civil War. Drawing on the best recent scholarship and his own insights, Walther's volume is a quick read that is perfect for classroom use. It is a compelling tale, well told.

About the Author

Eric H. Walther is associate professor of history at the University of Houston. Walther served as an editorial assistant for The Papers of Jefferson Davis, is the author of The Fire Eaters, and is director of the Texas Slavery Project.