Synopses & Reviews
“[For] the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, one can look forward to years of celebrating the glory of combat and the sacrifice of soldiers on countless battlefields . . . It might be wise for discerning readers to consult William Marvels multivolume history of Mr. Lincolns war before embarking on that journey.” — Brooks D. Simpson,
Civil War Book ReviewPraise for Mr. Lincoln Goes to War
“The most provocative account of events in 1861 in a generation. Readers who think they understand the Civil Wars first year and the roles played by Abraham Lincoln, Nathaniel Lyon, Charles Stone, and a host of others should brace themselves for a bold new perspective.” — A. Wilson Greene, author of Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion
Praise for Lincolns Darkest Year
“Like no other scholar, William Marvel describes in detail the Norths manifold weaknesses, including internal conflicts, incompetence, and jealousies at every level, rampant and persistent racism, ugly scandals, dangerous gambles, and frequent military disasters, any one of which might have lost the war.” — T. Michael Parrish, Linden G. Bowers Professor of American History, Baylor University
Praise for The Great Task Remaining
“Marvel presents the story of the American Civil War with a depth of understanding seldom achieved by a historian. The war is a huge canvas, and Marvel fills every square inch of it.” — Mike Pride, Concord Monitor
Review
"In William Marvel's forceful narrative, the first year of the Civil War unfolds at a vivid, relentless pace." --Nelson D. Lankford, author of Richmond Burning: The Last Days of the Confederate Capital
"Provocative...Thorough research, pointed analysis, and deft prose have become the hallmarks of Bill Marveland#8217;s work." --George C. Rable, Charles Summersell Chair in Southern History, University of Alabama. Author of Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!, winner of the Lincoln Prize
"Mr. Lincoln Goes to War is the most provocative account of events in 1861 in a generation." --A. Wilson Greene, Executive Director of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, and author of Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion: The Final Battles of the Petersburg Campaign
"William Marvel lives up to his unparalleled reputation as Civil War historyand#8217;s leading provocateur...in prose that burns with passion." --Peter S. Carmichael, author of The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion and Associate Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
"A fascinating exploration of an enormously complex and important year in our nation's history." --Gary W. Gallagher, John L. Nau III Professor of History, University of Virginia
Review
"Marvels account of the years smaller engagements is unusually full and insightful...a fluent narrative" --Publishers Weekly
Review
and#160; "Marveland#8217;s account of the yearand#8217;s smaller engagements is unusually full and insightful...a fluent narrative." --Publishers Weekly
"Finely written, minutely researched...Marvel culls evidence from a wide variety of sources, from the lowliest privateand#8217;s letters to his sweetheart to Gen. Grantand#8217;s communiquand#233;s with Lincoln. It is this breadth of perspectives, both personal and contextual, that differentiates this chronicle from the many dry recitations of battles and their attendant losses that characterize a particular genre of Civil War history." --Kirkus "Marvel is a first-rate scholar." --Booklist
Synopsis
A master Civil War historian re-creates the final year of our nationand#8217;s greatest crisis. With Tarnished Victory William Marvel concludes his sweeping four-part seriesand#8212;this final volume beginning with the Virginia and Atlanta campaigns in May 1864 and closing with the final surrender of Confederate forces in June 1865. In the course of that year the war grows ever more deadly, the home front is stripped to fill the armies, and the economy is crippled by debt and inflation, while the stubborn survival of the Confederacy seriously undermines support for Lincolnand#8217;s war.
In the end, it seems that Lincolnand#8217;s early critics, who played such a pivotal role at the start of the series, are proven correct. Victory did require massive bloodshed and complete conquest of the South. It also required decades of occupation to cement the achievements of 1865, and the failure of Lincolnand#8217;s political heirs to carry through with that occupation squandered the most commendable of those achievements, ultimately making it a tarnished victory. Marvel, called the and#8220;Civil Warand#8217;s master historical detectiveand#8221; by Stephen Sears, has unearthed provocative details and rich stories long buried beneath a century of accumulated distortion and misinterpretation to create revisionist history at its best.
Synopsis
"The Civil War's master historical detective" reveals how Lincoln blundered into war.
Stephen Sears has called William Marvel "the Civil War's master historical detective," and in this groundbreaking book Marvel investigates the mystery of how the war began, reconsidering the big question: Was it inevitable? He vividly recreates President Lincoln's first year in office, from his inauguration through the rising crisis of secession and the first several months of the war. Drawing on original sources and examining previously overlooked factors, Marvel leads the reader inexorably to the conclusion that Lincoln not only missed opportunities to avoid war but actually fanned the flames--and often acted unconstitutionally in prosecuting the war once it had begun. The story unfolds with Marvel's keen eye for the telling detail, on the battlefield as well as in the White House.
This is revisionist history at its best, as Marvel recreates the true story of our nation's greatest crisis--not sparing anyone, even Abraham Lincoln.
Synopsis
A revealing look at Lincolns actions in 1862and a nation in the midst of war
Lincolns Darkest Year offers a gripping narrative of 1862, a pivotal year in our countrys Civil War. Marvel continues the story he began in Mr. Lincoln Goes to War, which focused on Lincolns first year in office, again relying on recently unearthed primary sources and little-known accounts to paint a picture of this critical year in newfound detail. Lincolns Darkest Year highlights not just the actions but also the deeper motivations of the major figures, including General Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, George McClellan, Stonewall Jackson, and, most notably, Lincoln himself. As the action darts from the White House to the battlefields and back, Marvel sheds new light on the hardships endured by everyday citizens and the substantial and sustained public opposition to the war.
The second in a planned four-part series on the Civil War, and the first major reexamination in over fifty years, Lincolns Darkest Year stands apart from traditional assumptions and narratives about the early years of the Civil War. Marvel combines fluid prose and scholarship with the skills of an investigative historical detective to unearth the true story of our nations greatest crisis.
Synopsis
This groundbreaking work of history investigates the mystery of how the Civil War began, reconsidering the big question: Was it inevitable? William Marvel vividly depicts President Lincoln's tumultuous first year in office, from his inauguration through the rising crisis of secession and the first several months of the war. Drawing on original sources, Marvel suggests that Lincoln not only missed opportunities to avoid conflict with the South but actually fanned the flames of war. Then he wittingly violated the Constitution in his effort to preserve the Union.
With a keen eye for the telling detail -- on the battlefield as well as in the White House -- William Marvel delivers a satisfying revisionist history of Lincoln and the early days of the Civil War.
Synopsis
A critical look at the the fourth year of Lincoln's administration and the conclusion of the author's four-volume re-examination of the Civil War.
Synopsis
A critical examination of the third year of Lincoln's administration, challenging popular explanations for the origin of the conflict and uncovering a greater breadth of corruption and cynical exploitation than has been previously acknowledged.
Synopsis
The Great Task Remaining is a striking, often poignant portrait of people balancing their own valuesand#8212;rather than oursand#8212;to determine whether the horrors attending Mr. Lincolnand#8217;s war were worth bearing in order to achieve his ultimate goals.and#160;
As 1863 unfolds, we see the disaster at Chancellorsville, the battle of Gettysburg, and the end of the siege of Vicksburg. Then, astonishingly, the Confederacy springs vigorously back to life after the Union triumphs of the summer, setting the stage for Lincolnand#8217;s now famous speech on the Pennsylvania battlefield. Without abandoning the underlying sympathy for Lincoln, Marvel makes a convincing argument for the Gettysburg Address as being less of a paean to liberty than an appeal to stay the course in the face of rampant antiwar sentiment.and#160;
The Great Task Remaining offers a provocative history of a dramatic yearand#8212;a year that saw victory and defeat, doubt and riotand#8212;as well as a compelling story of a people who clung to the promise of a much-longed-for end.
About the Author
WILLIAM MARVELand#8217;s many acclaimed books on the Civil War include
The Great Task Remaining,
Lincoln's Darkest Year,
Mr. Lincoln Goes to War, and
Andersonville. He has won a Lincoln Prize, the Douglas Southall Freeman Award, and the Bell Award.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrationsand#8195;ix
List of Mapsand#8195;ix
Prefaceand#8195;xi
Part Iand#8194;and#8226;and#8194;Like Snows the Camps on Southern Hills
and#160;and#160;and#160;1.and#160;and#160;and#160;Inscription Rude in Virginiaand#8217;s Woods
and#160;and#160;and#160;2.and#160;and#160;and#160;The Mouldering Coat and Cuddled-up Skeleton
and#160;and#160;and#160;3.and#160;and#160;and#160;From Their Graves in the Trenches
Part IIand#8194;and#8226;and#8194;The Bravest Pressand#8217;d to the Front and Fell
and#160;and#160;and#160;4.and#160;and#160;and#160;She with Thin Form Presently Drest in Black
and#160;and#160;and#160;5.and#160;and#160;and#160;Horseman and Horse They Knew
and#160;and#160;and#160;6.and#160;and#160;and#160;From Charred Atlanta Marching
Part IIIand#8194;and#8226;and#8194; Like a Tireless Phantom
and#160;and#160;and#160;7.and#160;and#160;and#160;With Burning Woods Our Skies Are Brass
and#160;and#160;and#160;8.and#160;and#160;and#160;Forests of Bayonets
and#160;and#160;and#160;9.and#160;and#160;and#160;No More to Know the Drum
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Epilogue
Endnotesand#8195;345
Sources and Acknowledgmentsand#8195;420
Indexand#8195;423