Reviews
"Challenging a great deal of modern scholarship,Clash of Extremespromises to be the most talked-about book in years on the origins of the Civil War." -Daniel W. Crofts, The College of New Jersey "Egnal's scholarship and detailed analysis of the data makes it hard to argue with the notion that the war, at least initially, was driven in large measure by economic factors . . . Essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the American Civil War." -Herbert White,History in Review "Sure to provoke discussion." -Kirkus Reviews "An illuminating contribution to our understanding of the Civil War's causes." -Publishers Weekly "A serious work that may well reignite a historical debate." -Jay Freeman,Booklist "In lively and accessible prose, Egnal has succeeded in bringing back economics as a core factor in the coming of the Civil War. Readers are in for a delightful surprise as they explore his engaging analysis of how diverging economies produced conditions that led to secession." -William L. Barney, author ofThe Making of a Confederate "Marc Egnal's vigorous and original argument will inject new energy into the perpetually fascinating conversation about the meaning of the American Civil War." -Edward L. Ayers, author ofIn the Presence of Mine Enemies, winner of the Bancroft Prize "A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. It is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins." -Michael F. Holt, author ofThe Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War, "Challenging a great deal of modern scholarship, Clash of Extremes promises to be the most talked-about book in years on the origins of the Civil War." -Daniel W. Crofts, The College of New Jersey "Egnal's scholarship and detailed analysis of the data makes it hard to argue with the notion that the war, at least initially, was driven in large measure by economic factors . . . Essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the American Civil War." -Herbert White, History in Review "A contentious examination of how mid-century economic shifts powered secession." - American History "Sure to provoke discussion." - Kirkus Reviews "An illuminating contribution to our understanding of the Civil War's causes." - Publishers Weekly "A serious work that may well reignite a historical debate." -Jay Freeman, Booklist "Marc Egnal offers both a correction and a challenge to historians of the Civil war in this important new interpretation . . . Egnal skillfully recounts how people made choices, how they changed, how they understood themselves and their world." -A. James Fuller, Civil War Book Review "The author does not neglect the sins of the South, real and alleged, but his most original contribution is his description of a truly critical new development of the late antebellum period, which he calls 'the Lake Economy.' " -Clyde Wilson, Chronicles "Marc Egnal challenges the popular view that the war was primarily about slavery. Egnal looks instead to economic factors, pointing out that most Northerners were racists who favored only the gradual extinction of slavery and that the early Republican Party, despite whatever idealism it upheld, was also interested in increasing the strength of Northern industry and commerce. Slavery, of course, was important in all this, but not until the war was well under way did the abolition of slavery gain traction either as public policy or rallying cry. Refreshingly, Egnal emphasizes the influence of individuals as well as social forces in the course of human events." -David Luhrssen, Express Milwaukee "In lively and accessible prose, Egnal has succeeded in bringing back economics as a core factor in the coming of the Civil War. Readers are in for a delightful surprise as they explore his engaging analysis of how diverging economies produced conditions that led to secession." -William L. Barney, author of The Making of a Confederate "Marc Egnal's vigorous and original argument will inject new energy into the perpetually fascinating conversation about the meaning of the American Civil War." -Edward L. Ayers, author of In the Presence of Mine Enemies , winner of the Bancroft Prize "A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. It is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins." -Michael F. Holt, author of The Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War, "Challenging a great deal of modern scholarship, Clash of Extremes promises to be the most talked-about book in years on the origins of the Civil War." -Daniel W. Crofts, The College of New Jersey "Egnal's scholarship and detailed analysis of the data makes it hard to argue with the notion that the war, at least initially, was driven in large measure by economic factors . . . Essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the American Civil War." -Herbert White, History in Review "A contentious examination of how mid-century economic shifts powered secession." - American History "Sure to provoke discussion." - Kirkus Reviews "An illuminating contribution to our understanding of the Civil War's causes." - Publishers Weekly "A serious work that may well reignite a historical debate." -Jay Freeman, Booklist "Marc Egnal offers both a correction and a challenge to historians of the Civil war in this important new interpretation . . . Egnal skillfully recounts how people made choices, how they changed, how they understood themselves and their world." -A. James Fuller, Civil War Book Review "The author does not neglect the sins of the South, real and alleged, but his most original contribution is his description of a truly critical new development of the late antebellum period, which he calls 'the Lake Economy.' " -Clyde Wilson, Chronicles "Marc Egnal challenges the popular view that the war was primarily about slavery. Egnal looks instead to economic factors, pointing out that most Northerners were racists who favored only the gradual extinction of slavery and that the early Republican Party, despite whatever idealism it upheld, was also interested in increasing the strength of Northern industry and commerce. Slavery, of course, was important in all this, but not until the war was well under way did the abolition of slavery gain traction either as public policy or rallying cry. Refreshingly, Egnal emphasizes the influence of individuals as well as social forces in the course of human events." -David Luhrssen, Express Milwaukee "In lively and accessible prose, Egnal has succeeded in bringing back economics as a core factor in the coming of the Civil War. Readers are in for a delightful surprise as they explore his engaging analysis of how diverging economies produced conditions that led to secession." -William L. Barney, author of The Making of a Confederate "Marc Egnal's vigorous and original argument will inject new energy into the perpetually fascinating conversation about the meaning of the American Civil War." -Edward L. Ayers, author of In the Presence of Mine Enemies , winner of the Bancroft Prize "A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. It is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins." -Michael F. Holt, author of The Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War, "Why did the Lower South secede? Marc Egnal resurrects the case for economic disagreements. The cotton states, in his view, had a profoundly different version of the economic future than New England and the Great Lakes region. Frontally challenging a great deal of modern scholarship,Clash of Extremespromises to be the most talked-about book in years on the origins of the Civil War." -Daniel W. Crofts, Professor of History, The College of New Jersey"Focusing more on the economic than moral dimensions of the slavery issue, Marc Egnal shows how the two geographical and ideological extremes of the upper North and lower South polarized the country in the 1850s. The dynamic economics of both regions competed for territorial expansion and political power, pulling other sections into their orbits when Southern extremists seceded in response to the free-labor triumph in 1860." -James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize winning author ofBattle Cry of Freedom"A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. Marc Egnal's provocative interpretation may not win universal assent from fellow historians, but it is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins. Equally important, it will be a splendid addition to reading lists in courses concerned with those origins." -Michael F. Holt, author ofThe Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War, "Focusing more on the economic than moral dimensions of the slavery issue, Marc Egnal shows how the two geographical and ideological extremes of the upper North and lower South polarized the country in the 1850s. The dynamic economics of both regions competed for territorial expansion and political power, pulling other sections into their orbits when Southern extremists seceded in response to the free-labor triumph in 1860." -James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize winning author ofBattle Cry of Freedom"A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. Marc Egnal's provocative interpretation may not win universal assent from fellow historians, but it is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins. Equally important, it will be a splendid addition to reading lists in courses concerned with those origins." -Michael F. Holt, author ofThe Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War, "In lively and accessible prose, Egnal has succeeded in bringing back economics as a core factor in the coming of the Civil War. Readers are in for a delightful surprise as they explore his engaging analysis of how diverging economies produced the conditions that led to secession." -William L. Barney, author ofTheMaking of a Confederate"Marc Egnal's vigorous and original argument will inject new energy into the perpetually fascinating conversation about the meaning of the American Civil War."-Edward L. Ayers, author ofIn the Presence of Mine Enemies, winner of the Bancroft Prize "Why did the Lower South secede? Marc Egnal resurrects the case for economic disagreements. The cotton states, in his view, had a profoundly different version of the economic future than New England and the Great Lakes region. Frontally challenging a great deal of modern scholarship,Clash of Extremespromises to be the most talked-about book in years on the origins of the Civil War." -Daniel W. Crofts, Professor of History, The College of New Jersey"Focusing more on the economic than moral dimensions of the slavery issue, Marc Egnal shows how the two geographical and ideological extremes of the upper North and lower South polarized the country in the 1850s. The dynamic economics of both regions competed for territorial expansion and political power, pulling other sections into their orbits when Southern extremists seceded in response to the free-labor triumph in 1860." -James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize winning author ofBattle Cry of Freedom"A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. Marc Egnal's provocative interpretation may not win universal assent from fellow historians, but it is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins. Equally important, it will be a splendid addition to reading lists in courses concerned with those origins." -Michael F. Holt, author ofThe Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War, "Challenging a great deal of modern scholarship,Clash of Extremespromises to be the most talked-about book in years on the origins of the Civil War." -Daniel W. Crofts, The College of New Jersey "Egnal's scholarship and detailed analysis of the data makes it hard to argue with the notion that the war, at least initially, was driven in large measure by economic factors . . . Essential reading for anyone with a serious interest in the American Civil War." -Herbert White,History in Review "A contentious examination of how mid-century economic shifts powered secession." -American History "Sure to provoke discussion." -Kirkus Reviews "An illuminating contribution to our understanding of the Civil War's causes." -Publishers Weekly "A serious work that may well reignite a historical debate." -Jay Freeman,Booklist "Marc Egnal challenges the popular view that the war was primarily about slavery. Egnal looks instead to economic factors, pointing out that most Northerners were racists who favored only the gradual extinction of slavery and that the early Republican Party, despite whatever idealism it upheld, was also interested in increasing the strength of Northern industry and commerce. Slavery, of course, was important in all this, but not until the war was well under way did the abolition of slavery gain traction either as public policy or rallying cry. Refreshingly, Egnal emphasizes the influence of individuals as well as social forces in the course of human events." -David Luhrssen,Express Milwaukee "In lively and accessible prose, Egnal has succeeded in bringing back economics as a core factor in the coming of the Civil War. Readers are in for a delightful surprise as they explore his engaging analysis of how diverging economies produced conditions that led to secession." -William L. Barney, author ofThe Making of a Confederate "Marc Egnal's vigorous and original argument will inject new energy into the perpetually fascinating conversation about the meaning of the American Civil War." -Edward L. Ayers, author ofIn the Presence of Mine Enemies, winner of the Bancroft Prize "A most welcome addition to the literature on Civil War causation. It is sure to spark healthy debate about the war's origins." -Michael F. Holt, author ofThe Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of the Civil War
