The Civil War was a unique watershed, not only in American history but world history. Since the last gun was fired before Appomattox, it has fascinated and mesmerized us, as vivid in our imaginations as it was real in the lives of those who fought it.<br>
There are many compelling reasons to study that epochal event in our past. Not only is it absolutely unique in history, not only a watershed that defined us as a nation, but it was a war of important firsts, a war to save the democratic form of government and the freedoms that we now enjoy. It ended slavery in our country and pioneered new ways of waging war on land and on the water.<br>
It catapulted us into a new industrial and technological world and destroyed and made fortunes. Its politics were fascinating and crucial. It gave birth to a new journalism and an impressive body of literature and tested our faith as nothing ever has.<br>
This book, written by a noted Civil War historian, expands on twenty important reasons why the Civil War should continue to be a central study for us all.
JOHN C. WAUGH is a journalist turned historical reporter. After an eighteen-year career as a correspondent and bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor, reporting the twentieth century, he began instead reporting the nineteenth, specializing in his lifelong fascination, the Civil War. He has since written eight books about that pivotal passage in American history, among them the award-winning The Class of 1846, Reelecting Lincoln, Surviving the Confederacy, On the Brink of Civil War, and two titles from McWhiney Foundation Press, Sam Bell Maxey and the Confederate Indians and Last Stand at Mobile. He has also served on the senior staffs of two national politicians, former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico. He lives in Pantego, Texas and can be reached at waugh@sbcglobal.net for interview.
What Readers Are Saying:
". . . this book would be a great 'opener' to studying the War. . . . excellent . . . simply outstanding." --Eclectic Homeschool Online
"20 Good Reasons to Study the Civil War may emerge as the pivotal tool that converts the most jaded student into the most eager to learn more." --The Social Studies Texan
". . . a great aid in the teacher's classroom." --The Civil War Courier
". . . each reason serves as a lens through which to view the war, and as an idea for further research." --Reese Vaughn
"Jack Waugh is a great writer. His new book—20 Good Reasons to Study the Civil War—is a masterpiece." --Grady McWhiney, Cracker Culture
"The book could also be adapted for direct classroom use as a primer on the war and a marvelous lead-in for any of the countless historical analyses of the war and will well serve teachers interested in making the war come alive for contemporary times. . . . Highly recommended for all university libraries and public school libraries." --Review of Texas Books
". . . a slim volume that is long on substance and sound in thought. . . . the insight he renders and the gems he offers invariably induce thought, not only about this direct subject but with regard to later periods of history as well." --The Texas Review
"this work would be a great tool for teachers to introduce their students to the American Civil War." --William H. Brown, Office of Archives and History
"a quick, easy read and I heartily recommend it." --The Civil War News
"Here at last is a real tonic to those who keep asking why we should learn about the Civil War today. Its twenty simple reasons with examples could well be adapted for classroom use, and to good effect. Indeed, it should be required reading for teachers desperate to find means to make history come alive. John Waugh has written several distinguished works of history, but this modest little guide may in the long run be the most important of all." --William C. Davis, A Taste for War: The Culinary World of Johnny Reb and Billy