| Welcome to Bill's Book Club! Each month, Bill selects a book that he's
been reading and passes it on to you. See what others have to say about the
book, and then let everyone know what you think! |
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 Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam 1862
by James M. McPherson
Pulitzer prize-winning author James M. McPherson provides authoritative insight into "The Bloodiest Day in American History".
The pivotal one-day Battle of Antietam reversed the tide of the Civil War, but at a cost of 6,000 men dead and 15,000 thousand more injured. This is twice the number of casualties suffered on September 11, 2001 and four times those lost in the Normandy invasion of 1944.
Thankfully the battle was also a milestone in the transition from slavery to freedom for African-Americans. It inspired President Abraham Lincoln to issue his "preliminary" Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves.
Author McPherson does an excellent job of placing this significant military event in a wider historical and socio-political context to help the modern reader recognize it for the truly watershed moment in American history that it was. |
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| If you would like to purchase this book: |
| Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam 1862 by James M. McPherson |
| Price: $18.20 |
| List Price: $26.00 |
| Hardcover: 224 pages |
| Publisher: Oxford University Press |
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Visit the Book Club Library to read about past book choices.
Questions for discussion on Bill's Book Club Message Boards:
1. What do you believe the consequences would have been if the North had lost this battle? Would they have included diplomatic recognition of the Confederacy by European powers such as France?
2. Does McPherson succeed in making his case that the Battle of Antietam was more significant than the more widely known Battle of Gettysburg?
3. If you have read other books by McPherson, how does this one compare?
4. After reading the book, do you agree with the author that the Battle of Antietam was truly a turning point in the national perception of the Civil War from a battle to "save the Union" to one of national "Emancipation"?
5. If you liked this book, what others would you recommend that are similar?
6. What did you think this book was lacking, if anything?
7. How would you compare the significance of the sacrifices made by the soldiers at the Battle of Antietam to those made on D-Day?
8. Do you have a question about this book? Suggest a topic for discussion on the Book Club Message Boards.
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