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Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War
Random House
July 2011
On Sale: June 28, 2011
1008 pages
ISBN: 037550494X
EAN: 9780375504945
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction History
Acclaimed historian Amanda Foreman follows the phenomenal
success of her New York Times bestseller Georgiana: Duchess
of Devonshire with her long-awaited second work of
nonfiction: the fascinating story of the American Civil War
and the major role played by Britain and its citizens in
that epic struggle. Even before the first rumblings of secession shook the halls
of Congress, British involvement in the coming schism was
inevitable. Britain was dependent on the South for cotton,
and in turn the Confederacy relied almost exclusively on
Britain for guns, bullets, and ships. The Union sought to
block any diplomacy between the two and consistently
teetered on the brink of war with Britain. For four years
the complex web of relationships between the countries led
to defeats and victories both minute and history-making. In
A World on Fire, Amanda Foreman examines the fraught
relations from multiple angles while she introduces
characters both humble and grand, bringing them to vivid
life over the course of her sweeping and brilliant narrative. Between 1861 and 1865, thousands of British citizens
volunteered for service on both sides of the Civil War. From
the first cannon blasts on Fort Sumter to Lee’s surrender at
Appomattox, they served as officers and infantrymen, sailors
and nurses, blockade runners and spies. Through personal
letters, diaries, and journals, Foreman has woven together
their experiences to form a panoramic yet intimate view of
the war on the front lines, in the prison camps, and in the
great cities of both the Union and the Confederacy. Through
the eyes of these brave volunteers we see the details of the
struggle for life and the great and powerful forces that
threatened to demolish a nation. In the drawing rooms of London and the offices of
Washington, on muddy fields and aboard packed ships, Foreman
reveals the decisions made, the beliefs held and contested,
and the personal triumphs and sacrifices that ultimately led
to the reunification of America. A World on Fire is a
complex and groundbreaking work that will surely cement
Amanda Foreman’s position as one of the most influential
historians of our time.
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