A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln [Paperback]

Eric Foner (Author), Olivia Mahoney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 1991

"A graceful, informed overview of the antebellum U.S., the Civil War years, and the conflict's great aftermath. Best of all are the portrayed exhibit pieces." —Booklist

This analysis of the American Civil War pieces together a complex sequence of events, at the centre of which was slavery and the issue of its expansion into America's western territories. The author examines the political controversy that severed the bonds of union, and depicts the leading political and military figures of the era, including William Lloyd Garrison, Nat Turner, Dred Scott, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln. The text also describes the innovations of 19th century warfare and the superior resources that enabled the North to emerge victorious. The book is illustrated throughout with rare photographs from the collection of the Chicago Historical Society.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This introduction to the Civil War years emphasizes slavery as the overwhelming cause of the conflict between North and South and relies heavily on period illustrations and artifacts. Photos.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

A concise history of the causes, impact and aftershocks of the Civil War—a brisk, lucid, highly readable survey. . . . Will be irresistible to Civil War aficionados. . . . [Foner] is a thoughtful historian with a novelist's eye for color and detail and a journalist's talent for cutting to the heart of his arguments. . . . An essential contribution to the Civil War bookshelf. (Harold Holzer - Chicago Tribune )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (May 17, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393306127
• ISBN-13: 978-0393306125
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,914,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, where he earned his B.A. and Ph.D. In his teaching and scholarship, Foner focuses on the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and nineteenth-century America. His "Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877," won the Bancroft, Parkman, and Los Angeles Times Book prizes and remains the standard history of the period. In 2006 Foner received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching at Columbia University. He has served as president of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Society of American Historians. He is currently writing a book on Lincoln and slavery.