Tag Archives: politics

Civil War Podcast, Episode 75

THE ORDEAL OF GENERAL STONE (Part the Second)

In which we continue our discussion of the ordeal of Brigadier General Charles P. Stone.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Over Lincoln’s Shoulder: The Committee on the Conduct of the War by Bruce Tap.

“Tap’s case is one worth making. He argues that the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War produced little good and some harm, polarizing politicians against professional soldiers, limiting strategic options, and inflating the reputations of military incompetents. These errors, he shows, stemmed from ignorance of military art and from partisanship. Although his conclusions will raise some eyebrows, he provides good evidence for his case. A solid and readable old-fashioned political history, this book will correct our image of the relationship between Republicans and the army in the Civil War.” ~ Mark E. Neely, Jr.

Listen to Episode 75: GeneralStonePartSecond

Civil War Podcast, Episode 74

THE ORDEAL OF GENERAL STONE (Part the First)

In which we discuss the persecution of Brigadier General Charles Stone by the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War.

Our book recommendation for this episode is Controversies and Commanders of the Civil War: Dispatches from the Army of the Potomac By Stephen W. Sears.

“There is drama and intrigue aplenty here, and Sears lays it out with great skill.” ~ Noah Andre Trudeau

Listen to Episode 74: GeneralStonePartFirst

Civil War Podcast, Episode 14

In which we discuss the three-way presidential contest of 1856 & its importance in the stunning rise of the Republican Party. Plus, we see Abraham Lincoln start to position himself to be a leading national figure in the party.

Our book recommendation for this episode is James Buchanan by Jean H Baker.

Almost no president was as well trained and well prepared for the office as James Buchanan. he had served in the Pennsylvania state legislature, the U.S. House, and the U.S. Senate; he was Secretary of State and was even offered a seat on the Supreme Court. And yet, by every measure except his own, James Buchanan was a miserable failure as president. Historian Jean H. Baker explains that we have rightly placed Buchanan at the bottom of the presidential rankings, but that is no excuse to forget him. To study Buchanan is to consider the implications of weak leadership in a time of national crisis. Elegantly written, Baker’s book offers a balanced look at a crucial moment in our nation’s history and explores a man who, when given the opportunity, failed to rise to the challenge.

** This episode of the podcast contains explicit language. **

Listen to Episode 14: Election1856

Civil War Podcast, Episode 8

In which we look at the Presidential Election of 1848 (Zachary Taylor wins!), the crisis over California’s admission to the Union as a free state (which nearly led to disunion & civil war), and how Henry Clay stepped into the breach and laid the groundwork that allowed Stephen A. Douglas to save the day with the Compromise of 1850.

Our book recommendation for this episode is At the Edge of the Precipice: Henry Clay and the Compromise that Saved the Union by Robert V. Remini. “In 1850, America hovered on the brink of disunion. Tensions between slaveholders and abolitionists mounted, as the debate over slavery grew rancorous. The addition of vast new territory in the wake of the Mexican war prompted Northern politicians to demand that new states remain free; in response, Southerners baldly threatened to secede from the Union. Only Henry Clay, America’s Great Compromiser, could keep the union together.”

Listen to Episode 8: Compromise1848

Civil War Podcast, Episode 2

In which we take a look back to see why slavery was such a thorny issue and how it played a major role in shaping & defining the early American political landscape.

We have two book recommendations for this episode. The first is What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 by Daniel Walker Howe. This hefty tome won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in History, but it’s probably more for the serious-minded student of history, so…

For those of you not wishing to jump right into the deep end of the pool, we’re also recommending another Pulitzer Prize-winning history book. It’s Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson. This book provides a comprehensive narrative of the period, but is a bit more accessible to the general reader.

Listen to Episode 2: SlaveryAndPolitics