xiii, 225 pages, 1 unnumbered leaf of plates : 25 cm

This book offers conclusions that are very different from most of the traditional historical interpretations of the Buchanan presidency. Historians have either condemned Buchanan for weakness and vacillation or portrayed him as a president dedicated to peace who did everything constitutionally possible to avoid war. Under the scrutiny of Elbert B. Smith, Buchanan emerges as a strong figure who made vital contributions not to peace but to the accelerating animosities that produced the war

Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-217) and index

The uneasy republic -- The president -- The administration -- Allies: the president and the court -- Kansas -- Sequel to Kansas: Douglas versus Lincoln -- Economics and ideology -- Lamb, lion, or fox? -- "Whom the gods would destroy" -- To rule or ruin -- The uncertain verdict -- Secession -- The peacemakers -- The ordeal -- Epilogue

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews