The Dogs of War: 1861

In "The Dogs of War," historian Emory Thomas examines the misconceptions that influenced both Union and Confederate leaders leading up to the Civil War, a conflict initially believed to be brief but which ultimately resulted in immense loss of life. Through a detailed narrative of the months before the war—including the "Great Secession Winter" and the Fort Sumter crisis—Thomas unpacks the delusions held by figures like Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, revealing how these myths shaped their expectations and decisions. Drawing on his extensive Civil War scholarship, Thomas offers a fresh perspective on the factors that ignited this tragic chapter in American history.