The Union That Shaped the Confederacy: Robert Toombs and Alexander H. Stephens (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "In lives heavy laden with irony, the greatest one was that it took the destruction of their Union to bring them back together..." (more)
Key Phrases: permanent constitution, Little Aleck, Tom Cobb, South Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From its beguilingly clever title to its concluding quotation from Wordsworth, this study of a Civil War friendship is captivating. Virginia Tech's Davis, author of more than 40 books about the War Between the States, charts the friendship of two leading Confederate statesmen, Robert Toombs, who was nearly made president of the Confederacy, and Alexander H. Stephens, who became its vice-president. The pair met as young lawyers, but they were as different as could be: Stephens, a frail, bookish sort, clawed his way up to the law from a humble background, while Toombs, a tall, powerful hulk of a man, was to the manor born and a touch dissolute. But the two became fast friends, rising in the ranks of Georgia politics together. Although their friendship was threatened by their disagreements about secession Stephens thought it imprudent, while Toombs did not once the South actually seceded, the two men reconciled and were among the founding fathers of the New South. Nevertheless, as the Confederacy foundered, Stephens and Toombs set themselves increasingly in opposition t0 Jefferson Davis's leadership and "rebelled against their own revolution, not because they rejected its ends but because they could not stomach the means necessary to achieve that goal." After the war, Stephens was arrested and Toombs fled the country, but, under the lenient rule of President Andrew Johnson, both men were allowed to return to their homes in Georgia. Significantly, as the author demonstrates, though their cause failed, their union remained intact. There are a few nits to pick with this book one wishes the author would stop referring to Stephens intermittently as "Little Aleck." But on the whole this is an engrossing read that will stand out in the crowded field of Civil War studies.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Prolific author Davis (The Cause Lost: Myths and Realities of the Confederacy) has written more than 40 books on the Civil War. This time out, he has compiled a dual biography of two Georgian politicians. The "Union" of the title refers to the important friendship between these two men, from their days in the Georgia legislature in the 1830s, to the U.S. Congress, and, after secession, to the Confederate government, in which Toombs would serve as secretary of state while Stephens served as its vice president. Davis skillfully explains their unique bond and how it was affected by the political, social, and historical events leading up to and through the Civil War. Here, the reader is exposed to the raw emotion of this tumultuous time, when politics brought these men together to play key roles in the Confederacy and the postwar South. The author analyzes and criticizes the numerous mistakes made by Confederate leaders and military commanders in this important contribution to Civil War literature. This thought-provoking political biography is recommended for its authoritative narrative and meticulous research. Public, academic, and special collections should consider. David M. Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas (April 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 070061088X
• ISBN-13: 978-0700610884
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #943,255 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Confederate Founding Fathers, March 29, 2001

By	Jeffery A. Jenkins (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This book documents the friendship and political careers of two of the Confederacy's most important statesmen. Davis does a nice job of providing historical detail while also weaving a readable story. However, at times, the prose is too informal and almost needlessly dramatic. Moreover, much of the history is quite derivative, as I learned very little new information about the men in question or the political tenets of the Confederacy. His previous book, "A Government of Our Own," is a much better historical treatment.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Delightful Little Book!, August 9, 2001

By	David M. Smith "Dave Smith" (Villa Hills, Kentucky USA) - See all my reviews

What a delightful little book! And frankly, I don't often use the term "delightful" in a book review. *The Union That Shaped the Confederacy* is a swiftly-paced, lightly written work that details the friendship of a pair of Georgians - Robert Toombs and "Little Alec," Alexander Stephens.

It is very important to know exactly what you are not getting with this book. You will not get a standard biographical treatment of Stephens and Toombs, and author Davis makes this abundantly clear from the outset. You will not receive great insights into the minds and thinking of these two men, but will come to appreciate the antebellum, war-time, and post-bellum periods of American history as these two men saw it.

William C. Davis does not attempt to make his subjects either heroes or villains on the Confederacy's stage. They were what they were - friends who for the most part held similar political beliefs, worked for the same ends, and became, as the war progressed, more and more bitterly opposed to the administration of Jefferson F. Davis.

Because of the nature of the work, the reader receives a slice of Civil War-era history from a perspective he or she would not likely get. Along the way, one receives insights into the functioning (and dysfunction) of the Confederacy's Executive Branch, as well as the building of the "loyal opposition" to Davis's administration. We see the strengths and weaknesses of these two prominent Georgians, as they struggled to establish a new nation out of the old.

Davis's writing style is loose and fast, and almost reads as if a good friend is telling a story of another pair of friends. To some, this may be distracting, but I found it to be just part of the story. *The Union That Shaped the Confederacy* can be read quickly, with a great sense of satisfaction. This book comes highly recommended.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Narrow and personal focus help ruin the Confederate Govt., October 21, 2001

By	Daniel Hurley (Chesapeake, VA.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Toombs and Stephen examplify the problems within the Confederate
government. These incredibly close friends of the strong Georgia delegation were powerful national political figures whose bitterness over personal issues, Toombs, and Stephens' strict constitutional views undermined the Davis administration. Stephens never seriously worked with the dominating Davis and was later opposed to the administration over constitutional issues in the face of bigger war emergencies. Toombs loses the opportunity to become the first President by his bellicose enthusiams for the office coupled with drink which lowers his place in the new government and raises Stephens' star. Excellent description of both men including Toombs rise as Secretary of State, his anti-Davis stance and his mercurial and short military career. The author also covers the end of the era of both men including Stephens' attempts to rewite history in a light more favorable to him then his actions were in reality. These two powerful men and closest of friends could not see the big picture of the war seeking their narrow views in spite of the war effort. Together with Governor Brown of Georgia, they represented a crisis of independence within the Confederacy that no doubt contributed to the fall of the Confederate government.