"Dramatic political clashes between antislavery and proslavery forces characterized the United States as it moved toward Civil War. Michael S. Green's fast-paced narrative of this prewar struggle combines a comprehensive understanding of the divisive forces at work with insightful portraits of leading figures. This is a book that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the events that brought on America's most important war."

"This expert and engaging account of the coming of the Civil War brings the sectional conflict to life. Covering all the major political events of the 1850s—including the literary and social events that became political—Michael Green's account focuses on the people creating the crisis: men determined to promote their own vision of the nation and convinced that their opponents were traitors. This well-written history of the 1850s shows how the struggle to keep slavery out of the West became not only the tinder for the Civil War, but also a fight over the soul of America."