A masterful account of the Civil War's turning point in the tradition of James McPherson's Crossroads of Freedom. In the summer of 1862; after a year of protracted fighting; Abraham Lincoln decided on a radical change of strategy―one that abandoned hope for a compromise peace and committed the nation to all-out war. The centerpiece of that new strategy was the Emancipation Proclamation: an unprecedented use of federal power that would revolutionize Southern society. In The Long Road to Antietam; Richard Slotkin; a renowned cultural historian; reexamines the challenges that Lincoln encountered during that anguished summer 150 years ago. In an original and incisive study of character; Slotkin re-creates the showdown between Lincoln and General George McClellan; the “Young Napoleon†whose opposition to Lincoln included obsessive fantasies of dictatorship and a military coup. He brings to three-dimensional life their ruinous conflict; demonstrating how their political struggle provided Confederate General Robert E. Lee with his best opportunity to win the war; in the grand offensive that ended in September of 1862 at the bloody Battle of Antietam. 10 illustrations; 8 maps
#3028244 in Books Westernlore Pr 1991-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 5.75 x 1.00l; #File Name: 0870260782170 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Valuable glimpse into historyBy MACPFrank Kestner wrote an interesting little book which centers on his experiences as a private in a US Army combat engineer company which was trapped near the Chosin Reservoir alongside the Marine Corps.Kestner; who eventually retired as a Major; describes his early hardscrabble life growing up in the South; and occasionally brings the reader back to this during his Korean War passages; but the preponderance of the story deals with Chosin. Kestner also was the main engineer involved in the rigging of the explosives which destroyed the docks at Hungnam; as seen in newsreels.This all is very important; since little has been written about the various army units involved at the Chosin Reservoir. Indeed this book actually refutes errors subsequently made in "Breakout" by Martin Russ; for example.Anyone interested in the Chosin Reservoir battles should read "To the Last Man" for a well-rounded view.1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Not worth readingBy Old SaltThis book stinks. I was there on East Hill and was acquainted with the author. Don't waste your money as this in only a book written for self- aggrandizment.
