Update: At the Halfway Point (Almost)

As I mentioned in an earlier post I am currently reading David Goldfield's latest book, America Aflame: How the Civil War Created a Nation. By the end of this Memorial Day weekend I will be halfway through the book. The writing throughout so far has been superb, except for one chapter (don't remember which one) that I felt got a bit bogged down. Though this book as a whole certainly is not meant to be used as a textbook for a high school or undergraduate class, I really feel that chapters 8 and 9 could easily be used in an undergraduate class. These two chapters very succinctly sum up the secession crisis after Lincoln's election and end after the First Battle of Manassas. Goldfield does not dwell too much on the military aspects of the war (and I never thought that he would) but includes enough to get where he wants to go. His main focus is on the socio-religious and political realms, which he covers very well. At the near halfway point, I am really enjoying this book.