David R. Goldfield

One of the more interesting history books I've read, this doesn't chart the Civil War that much (I'd estimate it takes up less than a third of the book's length), but instead focuses on what caused it and what it's ramifications were. It's a fascinating look at what the war meant to the people in the north and the south and the problems it solved and the ones it didn't.

Did not finish, not because it was that bad (it wasn’t) but because I didn’t feel that I was learning anything from this history of the mid-20th century from the perspective of the (often non-WASP) US whites who benefited from an expansive, helpful government … and then oversaw its erosion into what it is now. I guess that’s appropriate, because it seems like most of us didn’t learn anything from that history, either.

The way NPR "advertised" this title, the thesis was that the Civil War was preventable, and that it was driven by religious forces that would not allow the political process to play out. While this was a good way to get me hooked, it was fairly clear after a number of pages that this theme, while present, was not the central thesis or argument of this book, which is much more complex. I'm glad I read this, even though it didn't conform to my expectations - the book was much better.

This is a good middle of the road textbook for a freshman Survery of American History. It attempts to include a wide range of cultural elements and seeks to avoid the Eurocentric approach that tainted so many texts in previous years.