Upon the Altar of the Nation: A Moral History of the Civil War

by Harry S. Stout

Book Overview

A profound and timely examination of the moral underpinnings of the War Between the States The Civil War was not only a war of armies but also a war of ideas, in which Union and Confederacy alike... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670034703
• ISBN13: 9780670034703
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Viking Books
• Length: 552 Pages
• Weight: 1.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.5" x 9.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A De-Romanticization of the American Civil War

This book is clearly written, informative, and brutally honest in that it asks questions about the morality of the Civil War that were not asked during this great conflict, and have many times not been addressed in subsequent histories of the war. This book does a great service to all humans made in God's image who struggle to understand what precisely this war was about, how this war still affects us all intellectually and emotionally today, and how we will tell this important story to our children. There were many sacrifices made in God's name and for the good of these United States in the Civil War, but there were many gross sins, intentional and unintentional, that blurred the vision of many church leaders, politicians, soldiers, and citizens in this watershed war that defines us all today! I agree with another reviewer that Professor Stout's honest and superbly written moral history of the American Civil War is the best place to start when considering this important war that has been told from many different perspectives. I highly recommend this book to all interested in history, ethics, and those seeking to better understand exactly it means to be an American. As a Christian, who also is an American citizen, this book truly helped me to look beyond my regional identity to identify myself with Christ's Kingdom made up of every tribe, tongue, nation and people. As the Bible teaches so clearly in every historical "hero" there is also a villain lurking in our flesh, and in every historical "villain" there is oftentimes an unexpected hero to be found within. As Professor Stout writes candidly in the introduction: "'Upon the Altar of the Nation' tells difficult stories of unjust conduct on both sides of the struggle. Understandably, most Americans prefer not to face the evidence of an immoral war, especially when the war in question is the American Civil War. But I believe that if we are to understand the meaning of America today, then face it we must....Only when the reader hears the anguished cries of the suffering - -My God, why have you forsaken us?- -will the full moral dimensions of 'America's costliest war' be revealed for him or her to judge and, in judging, to learn timely lessons for today." Thank you Professor Stout, you deserve great praise for all of your excellent historical work, and particuarly the Pulitzer Prize for this one!

Cornerstone Civil War History

Since the history of the Civil War fills libraries, it's difficult to know where to begin to study the vast subject. Stout's superb work is an excellent place to start. The book's subtitle, "A Moral History of the Civil War", is an accurate description of what the book is about. Rather than just a history of battles, Stout supplies the context that stands behind the combat and the politics. The reader gets an appreciation for civilian life as the war continues from year to year. You come away with a sense of how and why the opposing sides justified their actions. Unlike many historians and other authors, Stout does not feel compelled to make every judgment for the reader. He lets his meticulous sources and endnotes speak for themselves, while he covers the war's biggest themes. This is a book to take your time on and linger over - it's not a history to skim, but the effort is worth it. Helpful maps and illustrations. Highest recommendation. If you always wanted to do some Civil War reading, I suggest pairing it with E. L. Doctorow's "The March" (which is excellent in audiobook format).

Racism, God, and Destruction

While tempted to add some moralizing of his own, Harry Stout leaves final judgement up to the reader. When I first browsed this book, what struck me was the sheer volume of "moral history" that the Civil War generated for future generations to sort out. I had never seen all of the issues compiled in one volume before. Although religion is naturally a recurring theme throughout, it pales in comparison to the issue of race. And the author does a great job describing how neither side could easily claim the moral high ground on racial matters. From the Emancipation Proclamation, to the recruiting of black units, to the assignments of those units in the field, to the ultimate morality or leaving black troops out of prisoner exchanges, and the final exclusion of black units in the grand review at the conclusion of the war. Lincoln's genius is in large measure portrayed as the ultimate moral arbiter who could balance racial issues with affairs of war and politics. The role of religion and the religious press is explored in detail in the book. One thing I never realized before is that the traditional Thanksgiving Holiday was created out of the Civil War religious observances (and was later coopted by New Englanders) The closest any book has come to exposing the ambiguous nature of moral claims by both sides.

Thought Provoking

Stout has answered many of the questions I previously held about the Civil War. I always wondered what the people during that period were thinking and what response (if any) they had to the enormous loss of life. It also raised many new questions and I hope Stout's book is the spark that will ignite more research into this area. I noticed one of the other reviewers wrote that it was confusing; he says there is nothing edifying and the fundamental problem is the absence of a definition of what a 'moral' history is. To this I say, herein lies the most edifying aspect of the book, the fact that Stout does define what a moral history is, and in so doing, he turns a period of our history that might otherwise be nothing more than a blight, into something that might teach us valuable lessons and insights on what we might avoid. The validity of Stout's historical methodology lies in the fact that he is a pioneer, and it is understandable that his is misunderstood. Some readers might try to put this book into categories they are familiar with, and when they find it does not fit neatly into their preconceived notions of what a history of the Civil War should look like, they might get frustrated. However, if you approach the book understanding that it is a new methodology and try seeing it through the lense of 'morality' and 'justice,' it has enormous implications. My prediction is that Stout is a strong candidate for the Pulitzer with this ground-breaking book. I also predict that 'Upon the Altar of the Nation' will cause historians to ask a great deal of questions heretofor neglected. A whole new branch of history is on the horizon.

Poignant and Frighteningly Relevant!

Stout's Moral history goes further than any author before him in looking into the motives and morality of the Civil War. He asks the hard questions that need to be answered in order to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. Questions about Just-war Theory: cosiderations of proportionality; measures taken to protect noncombatants; ultimately, Stout goes out onto that shaky limb of trying to answer the question of whether or not "America's costiliest war" was an immoral war. My sense is, particularly within certain communities, his conclusions will ring too true and will not be welcomed. However, for those of us concerned about the implications of waging war for the right reasons and not simply to add more blood to the altar of our 'religion of patriotism,' this is a long overdue book. One thing is for certain, reading this book will forever change the way you view the Civil War. From Fort Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox, Stout never loses sight on the importance of his quest to create the Moral History we did not know we needed. He argues that the people in the North and South neglected to ask difficult questions during the war. It would have been perceived as unpatriotic--sound familiar? Flags were everywhere and people were swept up in the feeling of patriotism on both sides, for if God is on your side, how can you go wrong? In all fairness to the text, I will end this review by saying that you must read it and decide for yourself, if for no other reason than the newness of Stout's perspective and his wonderful prose.