Download or read book Ordeal by Fire written by James M. McPherson and published by Knopf. This book was released on 1982 with total page 762 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by a leading Civil War historian and Pulitzer Prize winner, this text describes the social, economic, political, and ideological conflicts that led to a unique, tragic, and transitional event in American history. The third edition incorporates recent scholarship and addresses renewed areas of interest in the Civil War/Reconstruction era including the motivations and experiences of common soldiers and the role of women in the war effort.