The Coming Fury

Rating:
Summary: An Outstanding Introduction to Our Great National Tragedy
Review: "The Coming Fury" is a powerful rendition of the sad tale of the disintegration of the Union from the political maneuvers of 1860 to the aftermath of the First Battle of Bull Run.

In this, the first of the Catton trilogy, we are show how the breakdown of the spirit of compromise, which had held together a house divided for four score and four years, contributed to the conflagration to follow.

The major theme of this book is that nothing was inevitable about the lines on which the Union would fracture. The lines of division resulted from a multitude of decisions made by the actors in this national tragedy.

For many with only a superficial knowledge, history is the story of conflict between right and wrong, heroes and villains. When I read history I enjoy books which permit us to see the stories and characters with all their triumphs and failures, virtues and faults. "The Coming Fury" ranks high on the list of such books.

The first casualty of the failure of compromise was the Great Democracy, the Democratic Party, which split into its Northern and Southern wings in 1860, making the election of Abraham Lincoln inevitable that fall.

The election of Lincoln convinced many southerners that the Union was no longer provided a suitable home for them. This book tells the story of how the breakup occurred.

We see James Buchanan, trapped by a cabinet which was as divided as the nation, presiding over the rejection of the Constitution and the dissolution of the Union which he was sworn to preserve and protect and who, incredibly, retired in the belief that he had done a good job under the circumstances.

We see Abraham Lincoln, whose eloquence and political magic are the stuff of legends, stumble his way into Civil War. We learn that the speeches along his route from Springfield to Washington contain nothing of the inspiring rhetoric which now adorns his Memorial.

We see that the South did secede in one monolithic movement. The first seven states seceded nearly in masse, while the remaining slave states waited to see whether a compromise would permit the survival of the nation.

We all know about the firing on Fort Sumter, but how many know what was really at stake? The truth is that the main issue was over the possession of forts. In fact, there were several forts which could have provided the spark which set the nation ablaze, but the honor fell to Sumter and South Carolina.

Although the issue of Fort Sumter revolved around the possession of real estate, the implications were much greater. Several of the Border states swung toward the Confederacy after the attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter. It can be said that Lincoln's first crucial decision, that being to reinforce Fort Sumter, lead to the secession of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, with Maryland and Missouri being held in only by military force. It was Lincoln's political decisions which almost transformed the Confederacy from a rump nation with virtually no chance of survival into state with an excellent prospects.

I was interested in the treatment of General Winfield Scott. I had always thought of him as an old soldier who occupied his chair until he was pushed aside for younger men. In fact, Scott played a major role in the preservation of the country during the period of transition as well as in the formulation of the battle plan which eventually restored its unity.

After the succession of the states, the focus shifts to the preparations for war, both in the north and the south. In the north, the challenge was to organize the forces with which to subjugate the rebellious states. In the south, the simultaneous establishment of both government and army was a truly incredible accomplishment.

With the early preparations completed, the First Battle of Bull Run tested the expectations of all contestants. The battle proved the ineptness of both sides. Bull Run dispelled many notions. Both sides now realized that they were in for a long and hard struggle. Both now realized that the lack of compromise, which had rendered asunder the Democracy in 1860, had rendered any chance of a political resolution null and void. Bull Run had set the stage for the long and bitter struggle which Catton would report in his subsequent two books.

This is a outstanding introduction to our great national tragedy.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for Civil War Buffs
Review: I've read my fair share of Civil War books and this was my first Catton book. I'm ashamed to say I waited this long to read one of his works, it was fantastic. His writing style is an engaging, comforting read that was informative and well structured. This is the first in a trilogy and as the title alludes to, it lays the foundation for the ensuing war. The period covered is approximately a year before the war starts to First Bull Run, covering the political, societal and military events leading to the war.

I can't recommend this book enough.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for Civil War Buffs
Review: I've read my fair share of Civil War books and this was my first Catton book. I'm ashamed to say I waited this long to read one of his works, it was fantastic. His writing style is an engaging, comforting read that was informative and well structured. This is the first in a trilogy and as the title alludes to, it lays the foundation for the ensuing war. The period covered is approximately a year before the war starts to First Bull Run, covering the political, societal and military events leading to the war.

I can't recommend this book enough.

Rating:
Summary: Catton's "Coming Fury"
Review: In the mid-1950's and 1960s, Bruce Catton(1899-1978) wrote outstanding narrative histories of the Civil War which remain among the best sources available for a basic understanding of the conflict. Catton's books are accessible, informative, and a pleasure to read. He once said: "Whatever else history is, it should be a good yarn." His books are, indeed, "good yarns" and more.

Catton's "The Coming Fury" appeared in 1961 as part of a three-volume trilogy commemorating the Civil War centennial. It tells the story of the origins of the conflict and takes the story through the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861.

The book begins with the Presidential conventions of the political parties in 1860, showing how the Democratic party split into northern and southern components and how this party split led to the disaster of secession, disunion, and war. The story of Lincoln's election is well-told, but Catton's book picks up momentum with his treatment of the decisions to seceede of the 11 Southern states. The treatment of the final days of the Buchanan administration, the political maneuvering over Fort Sumter, and the attack on Fort Sumter which precipitated the War are told with the literary skill of a born storyteller and are full as well of good thought and information.

The book offers an excellent sense of the mood of the country at the onset of the 1860s and of the passions aroused over slavery and sucession. Catton shows how hotheads and extremists ultimately were put in control of events which spiraled inevitably into the Civil War. Catton shows a great deal of sympathy for those figures who tried, literally at the last minute, to stave off the conflict and settle the differences between the North and South through compromise.

The book spends a great deal of time on the four border states -- Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Delaware. Catton explains how these states were essential to the Union war effort and shows as well the careful and individualized manner in which Lincoln treated each of these states to keep them precariously in the Union.

The book concludes with a discussion of the early military efforts of the War, with emphasis on First Bull Run. The chief protagonists involved in the War, both for the Union and the Confederacy, are kindly and convincingly portrayed.

This book is a good introduction to the Civil War and to its causes. Those who have read a great deal about the War may still learn from Catton's account. Catton writes simply and well. His book will encourage the reader to learn more about this seminal event in American history.

Rating:
Summary: The Poet of History
Review: Jim Gallen has, in an earlier review, summed up quite well the content of Catton's first volume in his centennial history of the Civil War. What I will say is that having read this book, and the two that follow, more than 30 years ago, and having read numerous works on the Civil War since then, I keep coming back to these three volumes. Why? Because more than any other writer on the Civil War (Shelby Foote included) Bruce Catton has produced a book that is almost poetic in its style. His prose makes the people who fought the war or who were otherwise affected by it come alive. From the very first pages of The Coming Fury he gives us a sense of forboding, for the tragedy, the senselessness, and the inevitibility of what lay just down the road for the celebrants at the Republican and Democratic conventions of 1860. Catton is one of the first, I think, to truely take advantage of the letters and diaries of soldiers, sailors, and civilians, and not just official unit histories and canned secondary accounts. If more recent historians have surpassed Catton in digging up details of virtually every aspect of the Civil War, none can touch him in the poetic sweep of his narrative. For anyone interested in a good introduction to our most costly war, Catton is the one to start with.

Rating:
Summary: The ultimate failure of the political process
Review: This book covers the fifteen month period from the Democratic Convention in April 1860 to the first major battle of the Civil War at Manassas, Virginia in July 1861. Written as a very accessible narrative, this book explores the failure of the political process to produce any compromises that might have prevented to war. Catton shows how the radical elements on both sides controlled the debate in a dangerous game of brinkmanship that took on a life of its own, eventually making the war inevitable. The few voices of moderation were silent until it was too late for them to effectively impact events. This is a reminder of the dangers of extremism and the importance of compromise and dialogue. It also helps to shed illumination on the underlying causes of the Civil War and the choices important people made as the conflict approached. This is definitely a "must read" for anyone interested in trying to understand the American Civil War and its impact on the country.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books about the Civil War ever written!
Review: This book is so engrossing that I hated putting it down in order to go to sleep! The author is an absolute expert on the undoing of America that led to the bloody and tragic Civil War. He writes imaginatively about a factual event. There is no hogwash or political correctness in this volume, just the facts plain and simple. Beautiful book that should be required reading for anyone taking American History or interested in the subject.

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Summary: Who's Fury Came?
Review: To Whom It May Concern:

While I am not an expert on the Civil War, I have read enough on the subject to understand that Mr. Catton is an excellent researcher and writer. I am greatful that Mr. Catton and Doubleday Publishing spent the time to add their point of view on the months leading up to the Civil War.

I am also very disappointed that they took editorial privilege and left out the most important aspect of the events that led up to the American Civil War.

In the years preceeding the war, the Christian church experienced a nationwide, sweeping revival, an example of which can be found in Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Written by Harriet Beecher-Stowe, the daughter of Lyman Beecher, possibly the greatest evangelist of that era, this book was the cause of enormous popular support across America for the abolitionist movement.

This book was a compliation of "dreams" that Stowe had and recorded for future publication.

The Christian church in America played an enormous part in the change of heart that took place in America's opinion regarding the sinfulness of the institution of slavery, and played the leading role in its ultimate demise.

If the readers would like a Christian perspective, or to just check out my "opinion", two great books will confirm these facts. From Sea To Shining Sea and Sound Forth the Trumpet, both written by Peter Marshall, Jr., will provide that opportunity.

God Bless!

Rating:
Summary: History at its' Best
Review: Who said 'politics are boring?' Bruce Catton takes you right into the politics and reasons for the Civil war and does it in a manner that makes you want to read this at every possible moment. A rather large book , but certaintly worth the effort.
As this is book 1 in the American Civil War Trilogy, I can hardly wait to 'dive into' book 2.
A real treat and a must for anyone interested in American History and the Civil War.