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The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery Reprint Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 689 ratings

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“A masterwork [by] the preeminent historian of the Civil War era.”―Boston Globe

Selected as a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times Book Review, this landmark work gives us a definitive account of Lincoln's lifelong engagement with the nation's critical issue: American slavery. A master historian, Eric Foner draws Lincoln and the broader history of the period into perfect balance. We see Lincoln, a pragmatic politician grounded in principle, deftly navigating the dynamic politics of antislavery, secession, and civil war. Lincoln's greatness emerges from his capacity for moral and political growth. 16 pages of black-and-white illustrations; 3 maps
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Do we need another book on Lincoln? Yes, we do if the book is by so richly informed a commentator as Eric Foner. --David S. Reynolds"

Moving and rewarding. . . . A master historian at work. --David W. Blight"

No one else has written about [Lincoln's] trajectory of change with such balance, fairness, depth of analysis, and lucid precision of language. --James M. McPherson"

Starred Review. Original and compelling .In the vast library on Lincoln, Foner s book stands out as the most sensible and sensitive reading of Lincoln s lifetime involvement with slavery and the most insightful assessment of Lincoln s and indeed America s imperative to move toward freedom lest it be lost. An essential work for all Americans. "

While many thousands of books deal with Lincoln and slavery, Eric Foner has written the definitive account of this crucial subject, illuminating in a highly original and profound way the interactions of race, slavery, public opinion, politics, and Lincoln's own character that led to the wholly improbable uncompensated emancipation of some four million slaves. Even seasoned historians will acquire fresh and new perspectives from reading The Fiery Trial. --David Brion Davis, author of Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World"

Do we need yet another book on Lincoln?... Well, yes, we do if the book is by so richly informed a commentator as Eric Foner. Foner tackles what would seem to be an obvious topic, Lincoln and slavery, and manages to cast new light on it.... Because of his broad-ranging knowledge of the 19th century, Foner is able to provide the most thorough and judicious account of Lincoln's attitudes toward slavery that we have.--David S. Reynolds

From the Back Cover

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE FIERY TRIAL: "While many thousands of books deal with Lincoln and slavery, Eric Foner has written the definitive account of this crucial subject, illuminating in a highly original and profound way the interactions of race, slavery, public opinion, politics, and Lincoln's own character that led to the wholly improbable uncompensated emancipation of some four million slaves. Even seasoned historians will acquire fresh and new perspectives from reading The Fiery Trial." --David Brion Davis, Sterling Professor of History Emeritus, Yale University, author of Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World "Definitive and breathtaking: with dazzling clarity and authority, demonstrating a total command of his sources and a sense of moral justice that transcends history, Foner has done nothing less than provide the most persuasive book ever written on Lincoln's vital place in the fight for freedom in America. This volume stands alone in the field. It is not only the best account ever written on the subject; henceforth, it should be regarded as the only account." --Harold Holzer, author of Lincoln President-Elect "Eric Foner has done it again. The Fiery Trial explores the pivotal subject of Lincoln and slavery free from the mists of hagiography and the muck of denigration. With his usual stylish mastery, Foner advances enlightened debate over our greatest president, the origins and unfolding of the Civil War, and the abolition of southern slavery. His book marks an auspicious intellectual beginning to the sesquicentennial of the American Iliad." --Sean Wilentz, author of The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (September 26, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 039334066X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393340662
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 689 ratings

About the author

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Eric Foner
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Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, where he earned his B.A. and Ph.D. In his teaching and scholarship, Foner focuses on the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and nineteenth-century America. His "Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877," won the Bancroft, Parkman, and Los Angeles Times Book prizes and remains the standard history of the period. In 2006 Foner received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching at Columbia University. He has served as president of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Society of American Historians. He is currently writing a book on Lincoln and slavery.

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4.7 out of 5 stars
689 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides an interesting and enlightening look into Lincoln's life. They describe it as a detailed historical work that is dense with facts and explanations. Readers praise the writing quality as good, excellent, and educational. The language is clear and never pretentious.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

61 customers mention "Insight"61 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides interesting insights into the Civil War era. They describe it as an enlightening record with detailed historical work. The book is dense with facts and explanations, so it requires focus and attention. Readers appreciate the author's scholarly skill and say it's one of the best biographies on Lincoln.

"...force, and the author treats both with insight, objectivity, and scholarly skill. This is a highly readable and highly recommended book." Read more

"...Some of the great things about the book: (i) the picture of slavery itself -- particularly at the start, we get a reminder glimpse of the deep..." Read more

"...It is an excellent, well-sourced, description of Lincoln as a person - as real human being born in Kentucky, entering politics in Illinois, and..." Read more

"...it altered the nature of the Civil War, the relationship of the government to slavery, and the course of American history (Foner 2010, 244)...." Read more

50 customers mention "Readability"50 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They say it's a must-read for those interested in Lincoln and his life. The first chapter is particularly enjoyable, as it explains how the different aspects of slavery are explained. Overall, customers consider it one of the best books on Lincoln that they have read.

"...This is a highly readable and highly recommended book." Read more

"...dvancing emancipation. All in all, this was a great book; I'm glad it won the Pulitzer...." Read more

"...Foner meticulously, but not monotonously, lays out the evolution of Lincoln's thoughts on slavery, liberty and equality from his childhood through..." Read more

"...It is an endlessly fascinating read and anyone who takes the time to read it will not be disappointed for it is easily worth the time spent on it...." Read more

23 customers mention "Writing quality"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They appreciate the author's thorough explanation of the culture and language.

"...This is a highly readable and highly recommended book." Read more

"...If you are looking for an easy to read, simplistic view of Lincoln’s views on race and slavery during his lifetime in the 19th century, then this is..." Read more

"...Foner's writes concisely and the narrative moves along briskly, with only a few patches where the book bogs down a bit...." Read more

"...I would recommend this as a highly readable and eminently enlightening record of one of the most challenging periods in our history...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024
    Very well-researched and -referenced study of Lincoln’s views of slavery from his early adult years to the time of his assassination.

    It includes fascinating details about American history, politics, economic trends, population changes, market transformations, technological developments, antebellum Constitutional law, and social movements that prevailed during Lincoln’s life and places him squarely within the context of his times.

    The genius and success of the work is that—to paraphrase the words of the book’s introduction—Foner does not “read history backwards” but uses contemporaneous accounts of all kinds (letters, speeches, personal stories and observations about Lincoln, newspaper articles, editorials, etc.) to chronologically trace Lincoln’s sentiments about slavery from beginning to end. There are also interesting biographical vignettes of many of Lincoln’s contemporaries which are indispensable to understanding the legal and political landscape of that era.

    Lincoln was a product of his times as much as he was a creative force, and the author treats both with insight, objectivity, and scholarly skill.

    This is a highly readable and highly recommended book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2012
    This is a great book. I decided to read it because I felt I should know more about Lincoln's attitude towards slavery, but it turned out to need no "should" justification. It was difficult to put down. Some of the great things about the book: (i) the picture of slavery itself -- particularly at the start, we get a reminder glimpse of the deep horror of the reality of the institution, and throughout the book we get an understanding of the depth and breadth of its impact on national politics through most of the 19th century; (ii) an understanding of the many different positions on slavery and race in general in that era -- the simple pro and anti that we normally see now looking back 150 years doesn't even begin to describe it; (iii) the radicalness of abolition at the time it occurred and, even more so, the 14th Amendment; sad to say but, had the South not gone all in regarding right-to-have slavery, badly misplaying the hand, slavery in the South might have continued for many more decades, and the great foundation for advancement laid by the 14th Amendment might not have been laid (though, to be sure, the Andrew Johnson presidency largely buried it for nearly a century); (iv) a glimpse at many other fascinating and important figures of the time --- Seward, Sumner, Chase, Clay, and, above all, Frederick Douglass; (v) so much about Lincoln, including his moderate and deliberate leadership style (attacked on both sides at the time--can't help but see parallels with President Obama) and how his experiences and interactions affected his views over time; (vi) the decisive role blacks played in the outcome of the Civil War and the critical motivation that potential provided for advancing emancipation.

    All in all, this was a great book; I'm glad it won the Pulitzer. I couldn't help but think of it in comparison to the much talked about Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. In that comparison, it's a Picasso next to a child's drawing, Peyton Manning next to Ryan Leaf, or Thinking, Fast and Slow next to Outliers: The Story of Success (sorry Malcom, actually Outliers is pretty good, it just pales next to Kahnman's great book). This is everything a history book for the public should be. If I had one negative comment, it would be that the perspective of black folks on these roiling times is largely absent, as absent as it was from Lincoln's experience. That makes sense since the book is about Lincoln, but it is the hole the book leaves that calls for another book. I myself have added "Frederick Douglas biography" to my future reading list.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2011
    After hearing about this book on NPR's Fresh Air, I was immediately intrigued. By way of background, I have a general knowledge of American History and the Civil War, but I never pursued it in college. I studied a fair amount of constitutional law in law school, so I was familiar with the general concepts surrounding the 13th and 14th Amendments.

    Reading this book as an educated non-history specialist, I was blown away. Foner meticulously, but not monotonously, lays out the evolution of Lincoln's thoughts on slavery, liberty and equality from his childhood through his death in 1865. This is not a Civil War book, nor is it a Lincoln biography. It is an excellent, well-sourced, description of Lincoln as a person - as real human being born in Kentucky, entering politics in Illinois, and struggling with very tough devisive issues of his day. He was thrust from relative obscurity in 1860 to the Presidency, an office that meant very different things than it does today. Southern states immediately seceded from the Union, and Lincoln was delicately balancing the interests of the "border" Confederate-leaning states with the demands of Northern Radicals, Democrats, industry leaders, etc. Every issue seemed to potentially prolong the war and the bloodshed: Should emancipation be gradual or immediate? Should slaves be allowed to remain in the US or colonized elsewhere? Should slaveowners be compensated for their "loss" or not? What power did Lincoln, as President, have to free anyone? Foner addresses all of these issues, and more, in a way that show's the pressures bearing on Lincoln, his foremost respect for the rule of law and the constitution, and his desire to end the war and preserve the United States.

    Like most Americans, I grew up thinking of Lincoln as "The Great Emancipator." Its a nickname that evokes images of a Lincoln fiding into Washington from Springfiled gallantly on a white horse, commanding the Union forces, and freeing all of the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. Foner has certainly set me straight, but in a way that allows me to maintain a certain respect for what Lincoln did accomplish, despite some personal prejudices that seem utterly abhorrent today.

    I highly recommend this book!
    7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Aimen Burhan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book that grows in stature as Lincoln did!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2024
    A book that grows in stature as Lincoln did, with panache of exquisitely written prose, emancipated from bias and equal to rival celebrated Lincoln biographies.
  • Bob Taylor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lincoln's problems
    Reviewed in Canada on February 14, 2021
    Foner, Hofstadter and Bailyn; three great writers on American history who influenced me greatly.
  • Sparky
    5.0 out of 5 stars which he obviously enjoyed as he kept telling me about
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2018
    A rare book for my son, which he obviously enjoyed as he kept telling me about it
  • VIC
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2015
    could'nt put it down, a book for the serious scholar or casual reader.
  • R Helen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and surprising look at Lincoln's views on slavery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 30, 2016
    "The Fiery Trial" delves deeply into Lincoln's views on slavery, and traces his attitudes as they evolve from his early years right up through his last speech as President. As it is often assumed that Lincoln was an abolitionist, this book shows clearly that he was not. In fact, his views on African Americans would shock most Americans today. But Foner also clearly shows that Lincoln was a man of growth and he was not afraid to change his views as reality presented itself.
    The book will surprise most of us whose history of the Civil War goes no further than what we've learned in grade school. For example, the famous Emancipation Proclamation surprisingly did not free all the slaves in the Union at once. Those in the border states who had not seceded from the Union (as well as some isolated places elsewhere) got to keep their slaves. It was only late in the War that Lincoln realized this would not work and advocated for an amendment to end slavery completely.
    For anyone interested in Civil War history, this book is a must in understanding the complicated role slavery played in the Civil War and Lincoln's thoughts.
    "The Fiery Trial," however, is written as a popular history book. It is not written in the fashionable narrative style that so many authors use today. It is well written and well-researched, but it will not flow like a novel, if that is what you are looking for. However, it is extremely informative and well worth the effort of reading. I would definitely recommend if you have an interest in American history and race relations. I think this book should be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the unique history that has brought the United States to where it is today.
    One person found this helpful
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