The Peace That Almost Was: The Forgotten Story of the 1861 Washington Peace Conference and the Final Attempt to Avert the Civil War Hardcover – July 14, 2015

The Washington Peace Conference of 1861 is almost totally forgotten and readers are in Mark Tooley’s debt for his readable look at it in “The Peace That Almost Was.” Tooley guides readers through the various peace efforts at that conference and showcases some of the figures who led it—John Tyler, Salmon Chase, William C. Rives, James Seddon though it’s odd that some important leaders—the much overlooked James Guthrie comes to mind—do not get much attention here. To his credit, Tooley offers a strong narrative from limited primary sources here. Still, there are some problems. Tooley often goes on strange paths, looking at the local scene, especially its churches, and going in depth on Mrs. Jefferson Davis, for example. More than a few times, I wondered if this was supposed to be an essay that was stretched out as a book. Tooley is a good writer but his book suffers when contrasted with William C. Davis’ “A Government of Our Own,” a far more vivid look at another important convention in 1861. To be sure this is a good book but it could have been a great one based on some of the flashes Tooley shows, especially when he offers a riveting account of what the convention tackled and how it fell short of its near impossible goals. Recommended.

Great telling of history that plainly lays out the largely untold yet very important events leading up to the civil war. Puts to rest any notion that the reason for the war was anything but the cause of slavery. In the end the Northern states were offered a "decent" compromise but they could not stomach a nation united with permanent slavery.

Full of details and research.

Very pleased!

This book was all over the place. Spent more time on who prayed during the conference and their story, than the actual peace conference. Then reading this book alone, you would have thought the war was due to slavery alone. Just so much more could have been said and emphasized. I'd pass on this book, honestly.

Tooley is an amazing historian. A must read.

Good Book

Mark Tooley’s The Peace That Almost Was: The Forgotten Story of the 1861 Washington Peace Conference and the Final Attempt to Avert the Civil War is one of those books just begging to be written.It has been more than 60 years since anyone tackled the subject at length, and the wait was worth it. Tooley’s book is entertaining, informative and – most importantly – an object lesson on the limits of compromise.Robert Gunderson’s Old Gentlemen’s Convention: The Washington Peace Conference of 1861, was until now the standard edition of the story. It has been surpassed.: http://johnbicknell1844.com/2015/07/30/the-peace-that-thankfully-wasnt/ Read more