Description
Book SynopsisYears before the Civil War began, another dark conflict threatened to shatter the Union.
Trade ReviewJohn C. Waugh has scored again. On the Brink of Civil War is a tour de force and must reading if we are to comprehend why in 1850 the nation's political leadership succeeded only to fail when next challenged. -- Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service
After the Mexican War, the United States came close to civil war. The process through which compromise prevailed is dramatically recounted by John C. Waugh, an experienced twentieth-century journalist now turning his attention and talents to past crises. Combining skillful reporting, careful research, and an instinct for the colorful, Waugh analyzes the statesmanship the nation would lack a decade later. -- John Y. Simon, professor of history, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Jack Waugh has written the best book on the Compromise of 1850. Waugh, in a graceful, journalistic way, examines the views of each major figure and some minor figures. The great statesmen of the nation speak for the causes of the sections, and, with no compromise being popular, they nevertheless manage to prolong the peace for a decade. It is a marvelously written account; you'll root for the one side and then the other—a great read. -- Grady McWhiney, Texas Christian University
Waugh has produced a splendid and quite readable volume. * History Teacher *
A lucid, comprehensive, and wonderfully readable account of the crisis that could have resulted in the dissolution of the Union in 1850. -- Keith Poulter, Publisher, North & South magazine
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Acknowledgments Chapter 2 Storm Clouds Rising Chapter 3 David Wilmot's Bombshell Chapter 4 "Old Rough and Ready" Chapter 5 Deadlock in the House Chapter 6 "The Star of the West" Chapter 7 The Prophet of Southern Anger Chapter 8 Webster and the Seventh of March Chapter 9 The Higher Law Chapter 10 Pulling it All Together Chapter 11 The Omnibus Chapter 12 Changing the Guard Chapter 13 Wreck of the Omnibus Chapter 14 Epilogue: End of an Era Chapter 15 Bibliography Chapter 16 Index
