Description
Book SynopsisWhen William Freehling''s Prelude to Civil War first appeared in 1965 it was immediately hailed as a brilliant study of the origins of the American Civil War. Three decades later, its importance remains undiminished and is still considered one of the most significant studies in its field. This vivid description of a society on the brink powerfully conveys the combustive social elements of the Old South, as well as the political manoeuvring and combative personalities that finally ensured secession and war, and insists upon the central importance of the South''s `peculiar institution'' in understanding the roots of the Civil War.
Trade Review"The definitive study of the nullification crisis in South Carolina."--The Free Lance-Star "Well done....Fine companion to Freehling's other work. Chapters are well organized; summaries are excellent."--Richard Owens, Lewis University "Combines incisive analysis with great narrative power....An important event....Highly readable and absorbing."--Book Week "An excellent piece of research and writing."--Library Journal "[Freehling's] special talent seems to be the capacity to etch characters richly, precisely, and briefly. By this means a very complicated story is made clear and interesting."--The Virginia Quarterly Review
