This Mighty Scourge

May
08
2009

Interview with Charles Bracelen Flood – Author of “1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History”

Recently I read “1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History,” by Charles Bracelen Flood. Mr. Flood is the author of many historical works including: “Lee: The Last Years” and “Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War.” Like many of you, I have been reading a lot about Abraham Lincoln this year. There are certainly a lot of great titles available, by some of the most celebrated Lincoln scholars: “Lincoln President-Elect” by Harold Holzer and “A. Lincoln” by Ronald C. White, Jr., come to mind. I became intrigued by this book, when I read the title. Only focusing on 1864, it provides significant detail on this pivotal year. Mr. Flood builds a great case for the importance of this year – a year that he rightfully claims shaped the United States more than any other year - with the possible exception of 1776. As I always do, I read the author recommendations on the dust cover, before reading the book. Here are some excerpts.

“1864 is a masterly re-creation of he last twelve months of Abraham Lincoln’s life. This brilliant book re-creates the tense drama of the final days of the Civil War and presents a moving portrait of the president in his final hours of triumph and tragedy. This is a biography that is also a first-rate history. – David Herbert Donald, author of “Lincoln”

“A gripping and scholarly narrative. No one can again claim to comprehend Lincoln or the final year of the Civil War without reading this essential book.” – Harold Holzer, author of “Lincoln President-Elect”

“It was the crucial year, one that changed everything, and Charles Bracelen Flood has written a captivating history of 1864, and of the vivid characters whose lives shaped the American future. For readers who want to know why we are the way we are, this is a terrific book.” – Jon Meacham, author “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House”

Pretty impressive endorsements from several of today’s most recognized historians. So I started to read. “1864” is a page turner from the beginning. Mr. Flood’s research is impeccable. With a prose that makes the book easy to read, it is easy to find yourself up way past your bedtime. In my opinion, the most impressive aspect of this book is the way the author “blends” the political maneuvering with Lincoln’s management of the Civil War. Flood easily moves from one, to the other, seamlessly tying the events together. The author makes a great case for 1864 being one of the most important, if not the most important, single years in our country’s history. Any number of events could have changed the outcome of the election, or the war, and significantly altered the country we now live in.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has more than a passing interest in our 16th president. For those that have studied Lincoln, this book offers much new material, that will leave you craving more.

On May 4, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Flood and discuss his newest book. It was a lively discussion that proves very revealing about how he approaches his research, his personal thoughts on Lincoln and other interesting observations about the Civil War. I am sure you will find the interview as interesting as I did. Drop me a line, or a comment, and let me know what you think of this article, and the accompanying interview.

Charles Bracelen Flood Interview – 10 Parts
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes, 27 seconds

Part 1: