Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run

David Detzer's third book in his trilogy about the beginning of the American Civil War in the East will not disappoint readers. The book primarily covers the period of April 12, 1861 (the day Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina was fired on) till 24 May, 1861 (the day Union troops finally captured Arlington Heights, Virginia across the Potomac River from the District of Colombia securing the United States Capitol). Again, the author incorporates the background, thoughts, and actions of a cast of hundreds that are involved in the events that make up this early period of the Civil War. Presidents, government officials both State and Federal/Confederate, generals and soldiers, naval officers and sailors, civilians both male and female, and blacks both free and slave are represented here giving the reader a good feel of what it was all about. The primary places and events covered include Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, United States Naval Yard at Gosport, Virginia, the Baltimore riots as Union volunteers passed through the city, international diplomacy, and Union efforts to reinforce the Capitol. Also explores the feasibilty of Virginia/Confederate forces taking Washington D.C. Detzer's writing is always easy to read and understand and the pages just fly by, but again, the lack of good maps makes this only a four star effort (something the author just does not worry about I guess?), a general understanding of the geography of this region will aid the reader in understanding the big picture (a few period maps included in the volume help but more are needed). Also, the author is a true wordsmith! Having access to a dictionary of some sort is recommended no matter what your level of education because your vocabulary will be brushed up and expanded! I really enjoyed reading this book. I learned a lot of things about the subject matter, and highly recommend reading it.

David Detzer's discussion of the events that followed Fort Sumter in the early days of the Civil War is an instant classic for Civil War readers. There are few books that really take the time to look at the time between the fall of Fort Sumter and the first major engagement of Bull Run and how the country quickly spiraled out of control. This book focuses on several geographic areas from Washington DC and the fear of a confederate invasion to the rioting in Baltimore that prevented troops from quickly reaching the capital. The siege of the naval yards at Norfolk is also told very well in this book and the story of how a few radicals in Virginia were able to tip public opinion through their actions towards war. While the outcome would probably not have been any different their quick actions set the stage for Bull Run. With confederate armies (I use the term loosely at this point) in control of Harpers Ferry, the Naval yards and Arlington the strike at Bull Run seems almost inevitable as political pressures were on General Scott to do something. It is in this book that all of these events are analyzed clearly and in excellent prose giving a clear picture of the early days in the Civil War. Highly recommended for those interested in Civil War history.

Like his other two Civil War books, Donnybrook Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 and AllegianceAllegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War, this book is very readable and extremely well researched. I am an avid reader of everything I can get about the Civil War and this book reveals many things not contained in other writings. My only complaint is that there are far too many "what ifs", moving it into the realm of fiction too often for my taste

His newest book may be the best. Everything you wanted to know about the in between days of the early civil war. This is an area typically skipped by most historians. Excellent treatment.

April of 1865 has been referred to as the month that saved America but April of 1861 may have been just as vital if not more so. It was during this time that Washington DC sat completely surrounded by two states that were teetering on the verge of secession. Once Virginia did leave the Union only Maryland provided the federal government with a connection to the rest of the nation and it was a tenuous connection at best. Abraham Lincoln was clearly out of his league in this early stage of the game and he leaned heavily on General Winfield Scott. For his part, Scott was keenly aware of the danger facing Washington and began to immediately call for any militia units that could get to DC quickly from loyal northern states. The problem was that these militia units would have to travel through Maryland, a slave state that might well consider these Yankee troops to be invaders and could easily be pushed into the Confederacy by such an affront to state sovereignty. It was also distinctly possible that these militia units might be attacked by not only the people of Maryland but also ultimately by the state militia. In the meantime Virginia forces had seized the federal armory at Harper's Ferry and the Gosport navy yard near Hampton Virginia. Rumors are rampant in DC that the Virginia militia that had taken Harper's Ferry was preparing to move on Washington and many in the Federal City were in a state of panic. The questions that arise from this drama involve the decision making process on both sides and the ultimate question is of course whether Washington DC was ever in any real danger. Did the Confederacy in fact lose it's only real chance for ultimate victory during this time period? David Detzer has done an admirable job in this book of not only bringing this evolving drama to life but also of answering these questions in a clear and concise manner. This book reads much like a great historical drama and the author's writing style is superbly readable. It is rare for the author of a history book to achieve such a sense of drama since the reader usually already knows the outcome. Detzer has accomplished this however and although I was keenly aware of what was about to happen at every turn I had a tough time putting the book down. This invigorating writing style is often derisively referred to as popular history but Detzer blows the sides off of that old mold by not only offering new information but also keen observations that cut directly to the heart of this eventful period of American history. No hero of American history is spared criticism when criticism is due and conversely even Ben Butler is praised when his actions merit it. This is the story of those fateful days of April and May of 1861 and it is a story that is well told by this supremely able author. This book is well researched, very well written and the story is told from the point of view of both governments as well as the lowliest private in the Pennsylvania militia. It is a story