Synopses & Reviews
Acclaimed as the definitive study of the period by one of the greatest American historians, traces a historical arc from the earliest days of the republic to the opening shots of the Civil War. Ferocious clashes among the Founders over the role of ordinary citizens in a government of "we, the people" were eventually resolved in the triumph of Andrew Jackson. Thereafter, Sean Wilentz shows, a fateful division arose between two starkly opposed democracies--a division contained until the election of Abraham Lincoln sparked its bloody resolution. Winner of the Bancroft Award, shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a 100 Notable Books of 2005 and best book of magazine and .
Review
"Remarkable . . . a book that befits its subject in artistry as well as scale." Steven Hahn
Review
"Confirms Sean Wilentz as the Richard Hofstadter of our day--the supreme political historian." Chicago Tribune
Review
"A magisterial synthesis that deserves the attention of anyone interested in the American past." Franklin Foer New York
Synopsis
Winner of the Bancroft Award: "Monumental...a tour de force...awesome in its coverage of political events."--Gordon Wood,
Synopsis
Winner of the Bancroft Award: "Monumental…a tour de force…awesome in its coverage of political events."—Gordon Wood, New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Sean Wilentz is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor of History and director of the Program in American Studies at Princeton University. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.