In the Presence of Mine Enemies

Winner of the Bancroft Prize, this book offers a fresh perspective on the Civil War through a detailed narrative based on extensive new research. Instead of the usual broad strokes, it zooms in on the Great Valley spanning Pennsylvania and Virginia, where communities deeply connected by various ties, including slavery, sought to avoid war. The author, Edward L. Ayers, brings to life the personal stories of everyday people and historical figures like John Brown, Frederick Douglass, Lincoln, Jackson, and Lee, showing how the war devastated the region and led to the pivotal battle at Gettysburg. /n/nThe book provides a vivid and immediate account of the Civil War, highlighting the human cost and the fragmentation of support for Lincoln. It challenges the traditional narrative of an inevitable triumph of the North over the South, instead focusing on the uncertainty and intensity of the conflict as it unfolded in the lives of those who lived through it.