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Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam Audiobook
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(3.03) - 540 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day in American history, with more than 6,000 soldiers killed--four times the number lost on D-Day, and twice the number killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. In Crossroads of Freedom, America's most eminent Civil War historian, James M. McPherson, paints a masterful account of this pivotal battle, the events that led up to it, and its aftermath. As McPherson shows, by September 1862 the survival of the United States was in doubt. The Union had suffered a string of defeats, and Robert E. Lee's army was in Maryland, poised to threaten Washington. The British government was openly talking of recognizing the Confederacy and brokering a peace between North and South. Northern armies and voters were demoralized. And Lincoln had shelved his proposed edict of emancipation months before, waiting for a victory that had not come--that some thought would never come. Both Confederate and Union troops knew the war was at a crossroads, that they were marching toward a decisive battle. It came along the ridges and in the woods and cornfields between Antietam Creek and the Potomac River. Valor, misjudgment, and astonishing coincidence all played a role in the outcome. McPherson vividly describes a day of savage fighting in locales that became forever famous--The Cornfield, the Dunkard Church, the West Woods, and Bloody Lane. Lee's battered army escaped to fight another day, but Antietam was a critical victory for the Union. It restored morale in the North and kept Lincoln's party in control of Congress. It crushed Confederate hopes of British intervention. And it freed Lincoln to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation, which instantly changed the character of the war. McPherson brilliantly weaves these strands of diplomatic, political, and military history into a compact, swift-moving narrative that shows why America's bloodiest day is, indeed, a turning point in our history.
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"This slim volume--156 pages--does a pretty amazing job of coalescing the military, political, and social trends of 1861-1862 to explain why Antietam deserves consideration as the key battle of the Civil War. It's a smooth narrative, easy to read in the best possible sense of that phrase."
— Colin (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Haunting…In some of the letters of surviving soldiers, there is a sense that the horror would forever escape the capabilities of their language and remain lodged only in their nightmares.”
— New Yorker -
“In McPherson’s hands, the Battle of Antietam gains an urgent immediacy…his brief narrative is driven by an awareness of the element of contingency, the ‘what if’ of history. By showing how Antietam changed the course of the Civil War, Crossroads of Freedom suggests how the outcome may have shaped world history.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“McPherson is the preeminent historian of the Civil War…His mastery extends from military affairs to politics to diplomacy, and he never loses sight of the human beings, both great and small, caught up in the war’s vortex…McPherson is a master of the miniature as well as the panorama.”
— Washington Post -
“A graceful and engaging blend of McPherson’s scholarship and stylish writing…Crossroads of Freedom is a small but valuable gem that similarly teaches and entertains.”
— Boston Globe -
“Accessible, elegant, and economical.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“No one could tell the story of this pivotal battle and its consequences better than Pulitzer Prize–winning Civil War historian James McPherson.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
Crossroads of Freedom Listener Reviews
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" Learned so much about this battle and what happened on the way to it. "
— Lynn, 2/20/2014 -
" An interesting and readable account of the events leading up to the Battle of Antietam, and the author's contention that it was the pivotal battle of the war. I'm not a huge military history reader--read this for a course in the Civil War--but I did learn a lot. Even though the book is entitled "Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, The Battle That Changed the Course of the Civil War", the first three chapters of the book deal with the war up to that point, and the fifth chapter deals with the aftermath. The battle itself gets only a single chapter. "
— Catherine, 2/7/2014 -
" Civil War Book Club book....fascinating portrayal of the Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg and the course it charted for the rest of the Civil War. I usually struggle with battle-strategy type books but I really enjoyed this one. "
— Anna, 2/2/2014 -
" Fast read by an author who gives lots of quotes which are very helpful to create a scene or understand a character. "
— Theresa, 1/28/2014 -
" I LOVE McPherson. I have a signed copy of this book from when I visited Princeton. *drool* "
— Kristi, 1/26/2014 -
" Great book. Gave a great account leading up I the events of Antietam but finished very quickly. Very obvious that the author pit a lot of one into research. "
— Lester, 1/24/2014 -
" History, for ppl without a past. GHOSTLIFE "
— Samuel, 1/19/2014 -
" This was concise, informational, and well-written. The majority of the book actually sets up the political milieu prior to the battle itself. McPherson argues that Antietam was a turning point upon which the momentum of the war rested. Lots of nicely inserted primary quotes. "
— Jen, 12/2/2013 -
" A great book about the bloodiest battle in American history. "
— David, 11/22/2013 -
" Kind of a beginners book to the Antietam battle "
— Chris, 8/2/2013 -
" Good historical account on sept 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, maryland. Known as the bloodiest battle of the American cival war, Antietam had almost 23 thousand casualties. "
— Richard, 7/29/2013 -
" Sooooooo boring. "
— Jacinda, 9/19/2012 -
" Didn't realize how pivotal this battle was for the global ramifications of the civil war. "
— Rick, 2/1/2011 -
" good readable military history of the Civil War. "
— Andrew, 1/12/2011 -
" This book changed my perspective on Lincoln "
— Josh, 6/5/2009 -
" This was an excellent book. McPherson does and exceptional job of putting the pivotal Battle of Antietam in perspective. He not only recounts the battle itself, but delves into the intricate political and social issues that make this battle truly a turning point in American history. "
— Adam, 8/16/2008 -
" The guy from training was right - this is an easy read even if you aren't into the Civil War or military tactics. "
— Kate, 5/27/2007 -
" A historical event that I can honestly say I knew nothing about. Apparently, I didn't pay attention at all from somewhere around kindergarten all the way through sophomore year of college. This battle, and the political changes immediately surrounding it, certainly were a turning point from America. "
— Clark, 8/15/2006 -
" A very interesting read. A wonderful perspective of the Civil War, with enlightening details and perspectives. "
— Kyle, 8/7/2006 -
" Excellent. Went really deeply into the Lincoln and McClellan situation, and showed what the army of the Potomac saw in McClellan in the first place. Also just a really thorough account of the bloodiest battle of the war. "
— Eliza, 8/22/2005 -
" Interesting scholarship on the politics of the early years of the Civil War although less about the battle of Antietam than I was expecting. Constant quoting from primary sources makes this short book a longer read. "
— Stephanie, 12/21/2004 -
" James McPherson's Antietam is so incredibly readable, it really makes a great book for both Civil War scholar and novice. If you're looking for a read about the events leading up to Antietam and its significance to the rest of the war, this is definitely a great book to check out. "
— Jess, 8/29/2004 -
" A concise account of the momentous Civil War battle as well as the smaller conflicts that led up to it. It is clear that either side could have changed the outcome of the war. History is made up of individual decisions. Fascinating. "
— Rae, 3/2/2004
About James M. McPherson
James M. McPherson is the George Henry Davis ‘86 Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University. America’s leading historian of the Civil War, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, which was a New York Times bestseller, and the Lincoln Prize for For Cause and Comrades.
About Nelson Runger
Nelson Runger’s voice has been recorded in dozens of audio productions and won him two AudioFile Earphones Awards. His ability to convey difficult, scholarly material with eloquence and ease has earned him critical acclaim, including an AudioFile Best Voice in Biography & History for his reading of Nixon and Kissinger.