This book was written by Bruce Catton, published in 1961, the narrative is 473 pages and is not illustrated. This is the first volume in Bruce Catton's famous history of the U.S. Civil War. In the first volume, Catton presents a clearly written history of the events between the 1860 Democratic Party Convention in Charleston, South Carolina to the 1861 Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia. While there isn't anything in the account that I didn't already know, Catton links the events together, showing how one foolish idea after another, and one delusion after another all wove together to drive the country away from the delicate political compromises of the 1840's and 1850's first to sectarian extremism, and finally war. Understanding these sorts of connections are the true gateway to really understanding history, and Catton does a masterful job of linking them together, showing how one event was influenced by others, and influenced still more in turn. This hard back book is in good condition, with a dust jacket in fair condition.

Item # AA2641