PDF A Government of Our Own: The Making of the Confederacy by William C. Davis in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Best of the Best!By CustomerDavis is a prolific writer; careful scholar; and one who has addressed the birth of the Confederacy better than others. This may well be his best work. The book is not only an easy read but contains facts that even most polished Civil War buffs will not have discovered. The collector who is building a personal collection needs to include this work in order to represent best of the best works on each phase of the Civil War.----M.B. Maxian1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Every non-fiction e-book should be this well done!By ZeldockThis is the perfect non-fiction e-book. The text is almost typo-free; the table of contents is linked; the footnotes are linked; and (rarest of all) you can page through the footnotes to see; for example; what "id." or "Davis; p. 15" refers back to.As for the book itself; I found it fascinating in the details it provided of how the former U.S. Senators and Representatives of the initially seceding states put together a new government and got its operations off the ground. To my taste; too much space was devoted to describing Montgomery and its residents. But that's a minor quibble.5 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Dense; Detailed; DryBy JamesDavis fumbles on the first page by delivering a remarkably anticlimactic explanation of the causes of Southern secession. After describing the myriad host of issues leading up to secession - agrarianism versus industrialism; unequal and unjust tariffs; struggle for political power in the Union; opposing views of government; etc. - Davis disappointingly concludes that the ultimate source of the entire conflict between the North and the South was; of course; slavery. Instead of merely being one of the many issues which divided the North and the South; Davis must do as all historians who wish to be taken seriously must do; and place slavery on a pedestal of its own. Somehow; slavery - against which the federal government never aggressed and which was safer than ever under Abraham Lincoln - was a greater outrage than federal tariffs; which had enriched the North at the South's expense for ages. On both sides; the clash over slavery was mainly a front for control of the Territories; for whichever side controlled the Territories would control the new states; and therefore the federal government. Davis actually explains this; but still comes to the conclusion that slavery somehow transcended and even caused every other issue. The Confederate Constitution - the South's ideal of how she should be governed - belies the belief in slavery as the one; true cause; for "the peculiar institution" was accorded no new protections beyond maintaining its status as a right of the states. Meanwhile; the powers of taxation and expenditure were greatly restricted and the sovereignty of the states was recognized. Never mind any of those inconvenient truths; though: slavery! Davis joins the ranks of historians blinded by Northern and Southern rhetoric and unable (or unwilling) to do historical analysis. He has swallowed slavery hook; line; and sinker.Aside from this lame beginning; this is a very detailed book; perhaps too detailed. Davis devotes a lot of time to describing the city of Montgomery; going beyond setting the stage and delving into irrelevant minutiae. Davis also struggles to restrain his feelings for historical figures; writing with adoration of some and contempt of others. The sheer amount of information Davis has assembled makes this book a worthwhile read for those interested in the "Civil War" or the Confederacy; although you will have to come prepared to slog through a lot of pointless details and defend yourself against the author's agenda.