More Great "What Ifs" of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict's Most Intriguing Possibilities
To ask “What If” about great moments of history is to simultaneously unleash imagined possibilities and embrace the rigorous confines of fact.

Every armchair general asks “What If,” but serious students of the war avoid making assumptions when they ask it. They go beyond wishful thinking and use “What If” as a springboard to explore not only what happened but also their own assumptions about what happened. A serious inquiry sparks rigorous exploration, demands critical thinking, and unlocks important insights.

More Great “What Ifs” of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict’s Most Intriguing Possibilities picks up where volume one left off: with historians at Emerging Civil War tackling more of the war’s most enduring questions.

Each essay focuses on a key event of the war and, much like an army staff ride, examines the options of the moment. To understand what happened, we must look at what could have happened, with the full multitude of choices before us and a clear and objective eye. “What if” becomes a tool for illumination.

This is not a collection of alternate histories or counterfactual scenarios. Rather, it is an invitation to ask, to learn, and to wonder, “What if . . . ?”
1141110988
More Great "What Ifs" of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict's Most Intriguing Possibilities
To ask “What If” about great moments of history is to simultaneously unleash imagined possibilities and embrace the rigorous confines of fact.

Every armchair general asks “What If,” but serious students of the war avoid making assumptions when they ask it. They go beyond wishful thinking and use “What If” as a springboard to explore not only what happened but also their own assumptions about what happened. A serious inquiry sparks rigorous exploration, demands critical thinking, and unlocks important insights.

More Great “What Ifs” of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict’s Most Intriguing Possibilities picks up where volume one left off: with historians at Emerging Civil War tackling more of the war’s most enduring questions.

Each essay focuses on a key event of the war and, much like an army staff ride, examines the options of the moment. To understand what happened, we must look at what could have happened, with the full multitude of choices before us and a clear and objective eye. “What if” becomes a tool for illumination.

This is not a collection of alternate histories or counterfactual scenarios. Rather, it is an invitation to ask, to learn, and to wonder, “What if . . . ?”
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More Great "What Ifs" of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict's Most Intriguing Possibilities

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More Great "What Ifs" of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict's Most Intriguing Possibilities

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Overview

To ask “What If” about great moments of history is to simultaneously unleash imagined possibilities and embrace the rigorous confines of fact.

Every armchair general asks “What If,” but serious students of the war avoid making assumptions when they ask it. They go beyond wishful thinking and use “What If” as a springboard to explore not only what happened but also their own assumptions about what happened. A serious inquiry sparks rigorous exploration, demands critical thinking, and unlocks important insights.

More Great “What Ifs” of the American Civil War: Historians Tackle More of the Conflict’s Most Intriguing Possibilities picks up where volume one left off: with historians at Emerging Civil War tackling more of the war’s most enduring questions.

Each essay focuses on a key event of the war and, much like an army staff ride, examines the options of the moment. To understand what happened, we must look at what could have happened, with the full multitude of choices before us and a clear and objective eye. “What if” becomes a tool for illumination.

This is not a collection of alternate histories or counterfactual scenarios. Rather, it is an invitation to ask, to learn, and to wonder, “What if . . . ?”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781611216134
Publisher: Savas Beatie
Publication date: 04/01/2026
Pages: 312
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief of Emerging Civil War. He is a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University and the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. He has authored or co-authored more than two dozen books on the Civil War.
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