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1861: The Lost Peace

1861: The Lost Peace

by Jay Winik

Grand Central Publishing ·2025 ·304 pages
New Release
Top of the Pile
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I Index
76/99
Top of the Pile

92/99

Critics' Rating Index

Near the Top

59/99

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About This Book

From award-winning historian and New York Times bestselling author of April 1865: The Month That Saved America Jay Winick, a gripping, fly-on-the-wall account of the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln's decision to go to war against the Confederacy. 1861: The Lost Peace>/i> is the story of President Lincoln's far-reaching, difficult, and most courageous decision, a time when the country wrestled with deep moral questions of epic proportions. Through Jay Winick's singular reporting and storytelling, readers will learn about the extraordinary Washington Peace Conference at the Willard Hotel to avert cataclysmic war. They will observe the irascible and farsighted Senator JJ Crittenden, the tireless moderate seeking a middle way to peace. Lincoln himself called Crittenden "a great man" even as Lincoln jousted with him. They'll be inside and among Lincoln's cabinet--the finest in history--which rivaled the executive in its authority, a fact too often forgotten, and they will see a parade of statesmen frenetically grasping for peace rather than the spectacle of the young nation slowly choking in its own blood. A perfect read for history buffs, with timely overtones to our current political climate.


Reviews

"What's striking about the new literature on Lincoln and the war is that, though one may expect him to be in some sense debunked or 'deconstructed,' he remains a largely idealized figure."

Adam Gopnik· The New Yorker Read review ↗ Near the Top

"A fascinating look at some of the less familiar history in the days leading up to the Civil War."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"A relatively little-known account of prewar efforts to reach a consensus."

Jacqueline Parascandola· Library Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Most intriguingly, Mr."

Harold Holzer· The Wall Street Journal Top of the Pile

"1861 is one of the few Civil War histories where Lincoln isn't the most compelling figure ..."

Andrew Demillo· Associated Press Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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