Brink of Destruction: A Quotable History of the Civil War

The Brink of Destruction is a no-holds-barred look at the American Civil War through the words of the people who fought in it. Filled with more than 300 quotations from persons involved in the war and arranged with illustrations to convey the character of the war to present-day readers, it captures the thoughts and emotions of the times in a way that no ordinary history can do. Here in their own words are the thoughts, emotions, and curses of a nation at war with itself. Drawing on the well-known leaders such as Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Davis, and Longstreet, it also contains a rich sampling of the common soldiers’ observations and insights of the war. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction, highlighting significant events and describing the progress of the war. Both the eastern and western theaters are covered, with particular attention being paid to the great battlefield confrontations. The result is a surprisingly thorough coverage of the war’s events and those who wore the blue and the gray.