This Mighty Scourge

Critics Review

• “These sixteen essays ask the big questions of the Civil War: Why was it fought? Why did the South lose? What was the effect on those who lived through it? Addressing recent historiography, McPherson, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is both masterly and graceful.”

  New York Times Book Review

• “One of the many reasons why James M. McPherson is the pre-eminent contemporary historian of the Civil War—perhaps the pre-eminent historian of that war, period—is that he knows historical truth is slippery and arguments over it are eternal…Once a historian has staked out a position, he or she often clings to it long after new or neglected evidence commands a revised reading. McPherson, to the best of my knowledge, has never been guilty of this…Over and over again, McPherson seeks to separate myth and fantasy from fact…Unlike some of his colleagues, McPherson doesn’t use history to preach political sermons, but what he has to say about Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and others leaves no doubt as to how impoverished the country’s leadership has become.”

  Washington Post

• “It will seduce anyone, Civil War neophyte or fanatic, for its authority and judgments…There is not a bad chapter in this book. This Mighty Scourge is a marvelous read from a master historian. Like all good history, what it makes you want to do is know more.”

  Boston Globe

• “A marvelous read from a master historian. Like all good history, what it makes you want to do is know more.”

  Boston Globe

• “In This Mighty Scourge—a riveting collection of 16 masterfully written essays—James M. McPherson again demonstrates that he is our greatest historian of the war…This Mighty Scourge, in fact, is an exemplary exercise in the contribution a great historian and eloquent writer can make to a people’s understanding of themselves.”

  Los AngelesTimes

• “One of the givens in American history is that we will always find new ways to look at the Civil War. Pulitzer Prize–winning historian James M. McPherson reinforces that with This Mighty Scourge, a fascinating collection of essays on aspects of the War Between the States…Civil War a buffs will find This Mighty Scourge to be a first-class addition to the genre.”

  St. Louis Times-Dispatch

• “[McPherson] forthrightly expresses his opinions while backing them up with well-reasoned arguments, whether challenging the ‘Lost Cause’ argument about why the South lost, or supporting the proposition that it was slavery—and not states’ rights—that was the main cause of the war. This strong addition to the massive Civil War canon will appeal to all readers.”

  Publishers Weekly

• “Fascinating and incisive…As always, McPherson writes with a sharp, succinct style and displays a willingness to challenge current orthodoxies. This work will be an outstanding addition to every library’s Civil War holdings.”

  Booklist

• “Nonfiction books, especially history, rarely earn praise as ‘page-turners.’ James M. McPherson makes the feat seem routine. A satisfying and insightful set of ruminations that will appeal to both specialists and general readers.”

  Civil War Book Review

• “This anthology is one of McPherson’s finest works and will be warmly received by any Civil War reader.”

  Army Magazine

• “Brings a critical intelligence to central questions concerning the war.”

  Kirkus Reviews