James M. McPherson is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor of American History at Princeton University where he has taught since 1962. The author of ten books on the Civil War era of American History, he won the Pulitzer Prize in History in 1989 for Battle Cry of Freedom.
"McPherson takes the latest professional thinking on the war and
gives it clear and popular shape."--American Heritage
"Not merely is McPherson the leading living historian of the Civil
War, but he is a scholar whose knowledge and authority are
unsurpassed; when McPherson speaks, even in a minor key, people
listen....McPherson is uniformly interesting and, to the general
reader's eternal relief, both lucid and uncondescending."--Jonathan
Yardley, The Washington Post
"These essays present some very complex ideas in vigorous, succinct
prose. Whether he is discussing the persistent appeal of the Civil
War, tracing the manner in which a war of limited goals evolved
into the first total war, evaluating competing theories on the
causes of the Confederate defeat, or explaining the genesis of
Ulysses S. Grant's military strategy, Mr. McPherson is exact,
convincing, and judicious....These pieces provide a lively reminder
that the
best scholarship is also often a pleasure to read."--The New York
Times Book Review
"McPherson has compiled a series of thoughtful essays on some of
the most thought-provoking questions of the Civil War....In these
essays the author has proven that history can be accurate,
informative, and interesting."--Library Journal
"Clear, luminous writing matched by incisive, original thinking
makes this collection irresistible to anyone interested in U.S.
history."--Booklist
"Thoughtful essays on the Civil War by one of its foremost
contemporary students....McPherson is successful in explaining why
popular interest in the Civil War endures, and indeed why it should
endure. Fine historical writing, and required reading for both
Civil War buffs and scholars--divided audiences, as McPherson
notes."--Kirkus Reviews
"A must for all buffs, McPherson's book not only gives us an astute
survey and summary of recent work on the Civil War but also many
brilliant insights of his own."--C. Vann Woodward, Professor of
History, Yale University
"A marvelous collection, Drawn With the Sword enhances James
McPherson's reputation as a major scholar of the Civil War.
Impressive in their range and their incisiveness, these essays
illuminate diverse areas of the great American conflict. The
writing is clear and forceful; the arguments are always thoughtful,
and often compelling. For McPherson there was nothing inevitable
about the outcome of the Civil War. The battlefield was central,
and
individuals did make a difference. Anyone interested in the Civil
War should read this book."--William J. Cooper, Jr., Boyd Professor
of History, Louisiana State University
"James McPherson is the master historian of the Civil War in our
time."--Gabor Borritt, Director, Civil War Institute,
Gettysburg
"These perceptive essays deliver just what readers have come to
expect from the pen of our generation's leading Civil War
historian. Learned, original, quick to question convention, and
written in McPherson's clear and often eloquent prose, they
challenge readers to think anew about important issues and
personalities associated with the nation's great trauma."--Gary W.
Gallagher, Professor of American History, Penn State University
"Drawn with the Sword is an assured winner. These are among the
finest essays from the pen of one of America's premier historians.
Written with verve and chock full of clever ideas and brilliant
analysis, this book is certain to inform and impress its
readers."--Joseph Glatthaar, Professor of History, University of
Houston
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