A lesson learned from LINCOLN'S PEACE: THE STRUGGLE TO END THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, by Michael Vorenberg
Wars often leave scars far beyond "peace" declarations. It's no surprise to anyone that to this day I still snatch up every book on the American Civil War that I can find; those who've known me forever know that I have a fascination with the topic that dates back to high school, and that ultimately was the focus of my MA thesis (I'm proud of it--especially as professional historians really began tackling my chosen topic just a few years later--but I'm also glad I stopped there, as I really wasn't meant for a life of research, AND it's way too dull for me to ever recommend it to normies! Back to our main topic...). However, whereas most old white guys just want to talk battles and military strategy (a fascinating topic, don't get me wrong), I was always drawn to all of the war's social and political implications--in particular, how America has never really healed from some of its scars, and how the war's aftermath continues to this day t...