A World on Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War - Softcover

Foreman, Amanda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375756965 ISBN 13: 9780375756962

Publisher: Random House Trade, 2012

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

10 BEST BOOKS - THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW - 2011

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Washington Post - The New Yorker - Chicago Tribune - The Economist - Nancy Pearl, NPR - Bloomberg.com - Library Journal - Publishers Weekly

In this brilliant narrative, Amanda Foreman tells the fascinating story of the American Civil War--and the major role played by Britain and its citizens in that epic struggle. Between 1861 and 1865, thousands of British citizens volunteered for service on both sides of the Civil War. From the first cannon blasts on Fort Sumter to Lee's surrender at Appomattox, they served as officers and infantrymen, sailors and nurses, blockade runners and spies. Through personal letters, diaries, and journals, Foreman introduces characters both humble and grand, while crafting a panoramic yet intimate view of the war on the front lines, in the prison camps, and in the great cities of both the Union and the Confederacy. In the drawing rooms of London and the offices of Washington, on muddy fields and aboard packed ships, Foreman reveals the decisions made, the beliefs held and contested, and the personal triumphs and sacrifices that ultimately led to the reunification of America.

"Engrossing . . . a sprawling drama."--The Washington Post

"Eye-opening . . . immensely ambitious and immensely accomplished."--The New Yorker

WINNER OF THE FLETCHER PRATT AWARD FOR CIVIL WAR HISTORY

About this title

Review:

"So expansive in its scope, and so well written, that to call it a masterpiece somehow doesn't seem to do it justice. . . . Foreman displays her exceptional gift for storytelling and for making history both fascinating and relevant."--The Christian Science Monitor

"History as a Cecil B. DeMille epic . . . One puts down A World on Fire with a sense of awe."--The Boston Globe

"Thrilling narrative on a grand scale."--History Today

"[A] remarkable book . . . an extraordinary cast."--The New York Times Book Review

"[A] magisterial history."--Newsweek

From the Publisher:

I am the publisher of this book. It is enormously heartening to see the enthusiasm for Amanda Foreman's book in the overwhelming majority of the comments posted here, especially as they are by people who have so clearly immersed themselves in it for a long time. It is a book which repays the commitment made to it, as many commentators have said.

A few of the comments refer to unspecified errors that others have supposedly detected, and one or two even claim there are profound - though uncatagorised - mistakes, attacking the book's 'academic accuracy' without giving a single example as reference. Only one reviewer here actually points to anything which might qualify as a mistake - a footnote error on page 797.

There are always differences of opinion and emphasis among historians, which are just that - differences of opinion and emphasis, not 'mistakes'. And despite our best efforts all history books, especially long ones, contain typos and even occasionally minor editing errors which we will generally correct for the paperback; I am always grateful to hear from anyone who has spotted any such errors. But it does pain me when the open forum of Amazon is used to repeat - perhaps innocently, but certainly unfairly - unsubstantiated criticism. For the true professionals' opinions of this extraordinarily engaging, highly original and astonishingly researched book, please look at the reviews posted nearby.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Trade
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0375756965
• ISBN 13: 9780375756962
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 1008