A
New York Times
Notable Book Selection
Winner of the Mark Lynton History Prize
Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
Winner of the Lionel Trilling Book Award
Critics' Best Book
"Excellent... stunning."—Ta-Nehisi Coates
This book tells the story of America’s original sin—slavery—through politics, law, literature, and above all, through the eyes of enslavedblack people who risked their lives to flee from bondage, thereby forcing the nation to confront the truth about itself. The struggle over slavery divided not only the American nation but also the hearts and minds of individual citizens faced with the timeless problem of when to submit to unjust laws and when to resist.
The War Before the War
illuminates what brought us to war with ourselves and the terrible legacies of slavery that are with us still.