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A World on Fire

Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War

Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War

Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War

By Amanda Foreman

By Amanda Foreman

By Amanda Foreman

By Amanda Foreman

By Amanda Foreman
Read by Robertson Dean

By Amanda Foreman
Read by Robertson Dean

Best Seller
Paperback $20.00

Jun 12, 2012 | ISBN 9780375756962

Ebook $10.99

Jun 28, 2011 | ISBN 9780679603979

Audiobook Download $35.00

Jun 28, 2011 | 1965 Minutes

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    A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman
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    Jun 12, 2012 | ISBN 9780375756962
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    About A World on Fire

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    10 BEST BOOKS • THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • 2011
     
    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
    The Washington Post • The New Yorker • Chicago Tribune • The Economist • Nancy Pearl, NPR • Bloomberg.com • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly
     
    In this brilliant narrative, Amanda Foreman tells the fascinating story of the American Civil War—and the major role played by Britain and its citizens in that epic struggle. 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 introduces characters both humble and grand, while crafting 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. 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.
     
    “Engrossing . . . a sprawling drama.”—The Washington Post
     
    “Eye-opening . . . immensely ambitious and immensely accomplished.”—The New Yorker
     
    WINNER OF THE FLETCHER PRATT AWARD FOR CIVIL WAR HISTORY

    About A World on Fire

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    10 BEST BOOKS • THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • 2011
     
    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
    The Washington Post • The New Yorker • Chicago Tribune • The Economist • Nancy Pearl, NPR • Bloomberg.com • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly
     
    In this brilliant narrative, Amanda Foreman tells the fascinating story of the American Civil War—and the major role played by Britain and its citizens in that epic struggle. 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 introduces characters both humble and grand, while crafting 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. 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.
     
    “Engrossing . . . a sprawling drama.”—The Washington Post
     
    “Eye-opening . . . immensely ambitious and immensely accomplished.”—The New Yorker
     
    WINNER OF THE FLETCHER PRATT AWARD FOR CIVIL WAR HISTORY

    About A World on Fire

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    10 BEST BOOKS • THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • 2011
     
    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
    The Washington Post • The New Yorker • Chicago Tribune • The Economist • Nancy Pearl, NPR • Bloomberg.com • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly

    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.

    Includes a bonus PDF with a Dramatis Personae and a glossary

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Also by Amanda Foreman

    The Duchess
    Georgiana
    See all books by Amanda Foreman

    Also by Amanda Foreman

    The Duchess
    Georgiana
    See all books by Amanda Foreman

    Also by Amanda Foreman

    The Duchess
    Georgiana
    See all books by Amanda Foreman

    About Amanda Foreman

    Amanda Foreman is a visiting research fellow at Queen Mary, University of London. She won the Whitbread Award for Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She is married with five children and lives in both New York and London.

    About Amanda Foreman

    Amanda Foreman is a visiting research fellow at Queen Mary, University of London. She won the Whitbread Award for Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She is married with five children and lives in both New York and London.

    About Amanda Foreman

    Amanda Foreman is a visiting research fellow at Queen Mary, University of London. She won the Whitbread Award for Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She is married with five children and lives in both New York and London.

    Product Details

    Category: Civil War Period | European World History | 19th Century U.S. History

    Paperback | $20.00
    Published by Random House Trade Paperbacks
    Jun 12, 2012 | 1008 Pages | 6-1/8 x 9-1/4 | ISBN 9780375756962

    Category: Civil War Period | European World History | 19th Century U.S. History

    Ebook | $10.99
    Published by Random House
    Jun 28, 2011 | 1008 Pages | ISBN 9780679603979

    Category: Civil War Period | European World History | 19th Century U.S. History | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $35.00
    Published by Random House Audio
    Jun 28, 2011 | 1965 Minutes | ISBN 9780307738974

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    Praise

    “So expansive in its scope, and so well written, that to call it a masterpiece somehow doesn’t seem to do it justice. . . . Foreman displays her exceptional gift for storytelling and for making history both fascinating and relevant.”—The Christian Science Monitor
     
    “History as a Cecil B. DeMille epic . . . One puts down A World on Fire with a sense of awe.”—The Boston Globe 
     
    “Thrilling narrative on a grand scale.”—History Today
     
    “[A] remarkable book . . . an extraordinary cast.”—The New York Times Book Review
     
    “[A] magisterial history.”—Newsweek

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