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Two Roads to Sumter
s/t: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis & the March to the Civil War
Using the early lives and careers of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as theme and framework, two of America's finest historians outline each step in the tragic march to the Civil War. By showing how these two major figures--both Kentucky-born--developed divergent attitudes, the Cattons simultaneously reveal why the North and South became increasingly isolated from each other during the 1850s, and why war became inevitable. Also captured: the epic sweep of the era, with its great new railroads, land-hungry westward expansion, and developing industrial and agricultural empires.
Using the early lives and careers of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as theme and framework, two of America's finest historians outline each step in the tragic march to the Civil War. By showing how these two major figures--both Kentucky-born--developed divergent attitudes, the Cattons simultaneously reveal why the North and South became increasingly isolated from each other during the 1850s, and why war became inevitable. Also captured: the epic sweep of the era, with its great new railroads, land-hungry westward expansion, and developing industrial and agricultural empires.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
3 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Catton
373 books319 followersBruce Catton was a distinguished American historian and journalist, best known for his influential writings on the American Civil War. Renowned for his narrative style, Catton brought history to life through richly drawn characters, vivid battlefield descriptions, and a deep understanding of the political and emotional forces that shaped the era. His accessible yet meticulously researched books made him one of the most popular historians of the twentieth century.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.
Born in Petoskey, Michigan, and raised in the small town of Benzonia, Catton grew up surrounded by Civil War veterans whose personal stories sparked a lifelong fascination with the conflict. Though he briefly attended Oberlin College, Catton left during World War I and served in the U.S. Navy. He later began a career in journalism, working as a reporter, editor, and Washington correspondent. His experience in government service during World War II inspired his first book, The War Lords of Washington (1948).
Catton achieved national acclaim with his Army of the Potomac trilogy—Mr. Lincoln’s Army (1951), Glory Road (1952), and A Stillness at Appomattox (1953)—the last of which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for History and the National Book Award. He went on to publish a second trilogy, The Centennial History of the Civil War, and contributed two volumes to a biography of Ulysses S. Grant, begun by Lloyd Lewis. His other notable works include This Hallowed Ground, The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, and Waiting for the Morning Train, a memoir of his Michigan boyhood.
In 1954, Catton became the founding editor of American Heritage magazine, further shaping the public’s understanding of U.S. history. In 1977, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Catton’s legacy endures through his vivid portrayals of America’s most defining conflict and his enduring influence on historical writing.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 15, 2022
Lyrical history at its best. Bruce and William Catton write about two Kentucky born personas whose paths diverge and then converge further down the road. The book tells of the rise of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, two men elevated to the presidency of their respected countries. The book ties in many ancillary characters as well. This is history as it should be written; crisp, styled prose that spins an engaging narrative. If you haven't read Catton, give this book a shot.
July 29, 2018
Jefferson Davis, the future president of the Confederacy, and Abraham Lincoln, the future president of the United States, were born only 100 miles apart in Kentucky. Thus begins this excellent history of the United States in the 19th century leading up to the opening shots of the Civil War, valuable not only for vivid character portrayal, but also for the broad scope that conveys the feelings of the times. The reader will understand why people took the positions they did not just on slavery but on industrialization and the economies of different areas of the young country.
Using the lives of the two men, Bruce Catton in his lyrical style follows the intricate path leading to formal armed conflict, but before that intensely fought in Congress and on the frontier between the defenders of slavery and those who wanted it restricted, if not eliminated. This book frequently departs from the personalities of Davis and Lincoln to paint a far broader picture while never losing the connection to them.
Only the very few wanted a war though almost everyone saw it coming. The South became ever more demanding of the North, not just to admit that slavery should continue but in expecting active support for it through the capture of fugitive slaves. Congressional, presidential and Supreme Court action that favored the South strengthened Northern resolve before the opening shots by the South toward Ft. Sumter.
Catton describes all the significant events of the period and the legal acts driving them such as the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the Dred Scott decision. The politicians are portrayed in their personal complexity, and political party conventions come across in all their heat. Above all, Catton is at pains to explain why attitudes, not just those of Davis and Lincoln, developed as they did. This is a passionate account.
Wikipedia states that Bruce Catton wrote popular history that, though well researched, was "not generally presented in a rigorous academic style." The reader benefits from this far from dry history. Catton sets the scene for the Lincoln-Douglas debates as follows:
"The setting was Illinois, whose flat fertile prairies and bustling small-town streets were product and symbol of the nation's westward growth. It was late summertime in Illinois and late summertime, too, for the rural America that had fathered these people...Rural America was in retreat and the mark of its conqueror was also among the stage props for the debates: in this campaign the candidates came and went by the railroad, whose dark iron tangents already laced the level countryside and bound it forever to smoking chimneys and crowded docksides far away to the eastward and beyond the sea."
Speaking of the debates, "The Little Giant", Stephen Douglas is presented in depth well deserved for the very important figure he was.
One can lose oneself in history well told. I did with Two Roads to Sumter
Using the lives of the two men, Bruce Catton in his lyrical style follows the intricate path leading to formal armed conflict, but before that intensely fought in Congress and on the frontier between the defenders of slavery and those who wanted it restricted, if not eliminated. This book frequently departs from the personalities of Davis and Lincoln to paint a far broader picture while never losing the connection to them.
Only the very few wanted a war though almost everyone saw it coming. The South became ever more demanding of the North, not just to admit that slavery should continue but in expecting active support for it through the capture of fugitive slaves. Congressional, presidential and Supreme Court action that favored the South strengthened Northern resolve before the opening shots by the South toward Ft. Sumter.
Catton describes all the significant events of the period and the legal acts driving them such as the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Fugitive Slave Act, and the Dred Scott decision. The politicians are portrayed in their personal complexity, and political party conventions come across in all their heat. Above all, Catton is at pains to explain why attitudes, not just those of Davis and Lincoln, developed as they did. This is a passionate account.
Wikipedia states that Bruce Catton wrote popular history that, though well researched, was "not generally presented in a rigorous academic style." The reader benefits from this far from dry history. Catton sets the scene for the Lincoln-Douglas debates as follows:
"The setting was Illinois, whose flat fertile prairies and bustling small-town streets were product and symbol of the nation's westward growth. It was late summertime in Illinois and late summertime, too, for the rural America that had fathered these people...Rural America was in retreat and the mark of its conqueror was also among the stage props for the debates: in this campaign the candidates came and went by the railroad, whose dark iron tangents already laced the level countryside and bound it forever to smoking chimneys and crowded docksides far away to the eastward and beyond the sea."
Speaking of the debates, "The Little Giant", Stephen Douglas is presented in depth well deserved for the very important figure he was.
One can lose oneself in history well told. I did with Two Roads to Sumter
August 8, 2014
Famed historian Bruce Catton collaborates with his son William to bring us the story of two brilliant men born a few miles apart in Kentucky. These two men, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, both staunch believers in a unified country, become adversaries over the slavery issue. The book traces the careers of both men as they mature and grow in the most complex and exciting of times. Both a biography of each man and a history of our nation, Two Roads to Sumter involves the reader with the growth of the nation, industrialization, railroad expansion, great farm empires and the politics behind each. It is both heartening and dismaying to discover the vision and the manipulation behind the visionaries. It seems congress and politics have changed little since the 1850s. It is revealing to watch as the two men's lives move step by step closer and make the decisions that will place them and the nation on a collision course. It's a cliff-hanger even though you know the outcome.
January 2, 2020
Probably one of the best books that dissects the pre-Civil War viewpoints of both the North and the South. It also compares the lives of Lincoln and Davis and the circumstances that led them to two very different, yet very similar roles and convictions.
The only thing that I didn't like was that it was kinda lengthy. Much of the information was useful, but much more was either repeated or unnecessary for the purpose of the book (in my opinion). But it would be a great resource for anyone researching more information about these two great men and the events that led up to the bloodiest war in American History.
The only thing that I didn't like was that it was kinda lengthy. Much of the information was useful, but much more was either repeated or unnecessary for the purpose of the book (in my opinion). But it would be a great resource for anyone researching more information about these two great men and the events that led up to the bloodiest war in American History.
June 14, 2024
Mostly a history book with plenty of political theory, the Cattons give a comprehensive record of the lives of the two men who led their governments during the Civil War, and the events that led to the Civil War. I considered giving this book 4 stars because it can be dry at times, but I settled on 5 stars because the authors gave such a fair, thorough, thought-provoking account, without leaving out important elements. Whether or not a book is dry or not depends on your interest level in the subject matter.
August 7, 2020
Catton's writing style is timeless and as usual, this reads like a novel rather than a dry tome, which sadly many historical works are. This particular book handles the troubled era leading up to the war in an even handed way that probably could not be done today, in an era where academics love to pontificate and Virtue Signal. He is a Yankee but I won't hold that against him :-)
April 8, 2024
Outstanding literary work, fascinating and thought provoking!
August 12, 2013
Having very much enjoyed Bruce Catton's Army of the Potomac and Centennial History of the Civil War sets, I picked this up for his take on the background of the conflict. Like the other book I'd read coauthored with his son, The Bold & Magnificent Dream, this volume didn't quite match the quality of the trilogies. William is an academic. His father wasn't. This, sadly, may be why. Still, this is a good introduction to the American Civil War and should be accessible to everyone.
I like Bruce Catton's work for the compassion reflected in his prose for both sides and their many victims. The War Between the States has been the only war the USA has ever really suffered. Appreciating it helps one begin to appreciate how people in other, less fortunate areas feel. Catton, born in 1899, knew and was inspired by veterans of the struggle. This, the personal connection, apparently much informed his work.
I like Bruce Catton's work for the compassion reflected in his prose for both sides and their many victims. The War Between the States has been the only war the USA has ever really suffered. Appreciating it helps one begin to appreciate how people in other, less fortunate areas feel. Catton, born in 1899, knew and was inspired by veterans of the struggle. This, the personal connection, apparently much informed his work.
August 12, 2011
I can't recommend this book enough. It is the single best explanation of why the war started.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews