Jefferson Davis and the Civil War Era

By William J. Cooper Jr.

Book Overview

In his masterpiece, Jefferson Davis, American, William J. Cooper, Jr., crafted a sweeping, definitive biography and established himself as the foremost scholar on the intriguing Confederate president. Cooper narrows his focus considerably in Jefferson Davis and the Civil War Era, training his expert eye specifically on Davis's participation in and influence on events central to the American Civil War. Nine self-contained essays address how Davis reacted to and dealt with a variety of issues that were key to the coming of the war, the war itself, or in memorializing the war, sharply illuminating Davis's role during those turbulent years.

Cooper opens with an analysis of Davis as an antebellum politician, challenging the standard view of Davis as either a dogmatic priest of principle or an inept bureaucrat. Next, he looks closely at Davis's complex association with secession, which included, surprisingly, a profound devotion to the Union. Six studies explore Davis and the Confederate experience, with topics including states' rights, the politics of command and strategic decisions, Davis in the role of war leader, the war in the West, and the meaning of the war. The final essay compares and contrasts Davis's first inauguration in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1861 with a little-known dedication of a monument to Confederate soldiers in the same city twenty-five years later. In 1886, Davis--an old man of seventy-eight and in poor health--had himself become a living monument, Cooper explains, and was an essential element in the formation of the Lost Cause ideology.

Cooper's succinct interpretations provide straightforward, compact, and deceptively deep new approaches to understanding Davis during the most critical time in his life. Certain to stimulate further thought and spark debate, Jefferson Davis and the Civil War Era offers rare insight into one of American history's most complicated and provocative figures.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807150096
• ISBN13: 9780807150092
• Release Date: January 2013
• Publisher: LSU Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Solid but Repetitive Collection of Essays

Does the world really need a third William Cooper book on Jefferson Davis? Cooper addresses this head on in his introduction and shoots down any doubts but, as I read this collection of essays, I felt as I have read some of this before. Cooper is able to focus more specifically on a number of key points of Davis' tenure as presidency of the Confederacy and offers an overview of Davis' visit to Montgomery, AL in the late 1880s. If the essays are a bit repetitive, it must be conceded that Cooper knows his subject well and is able to present this important man and his cause in a dispassionate light. This book reinforces how herculean Davis' task was and that no man, not even one as able as Davis could be despite his flaws, was up to.

Remarkable Insight & Perspectives

Dr. Cooper demonstrates remarkable insight and perspective to an historical figure often relegated to the shadows of ignominy. CSA President Jefferson Davis, despite his inadequacies, served as the dedicated leader of a doomed cause. In a series of ten essays, Dr. Cooper describes the plights of commanding disparate states into a confederacy fighting to attain its God given liberties.