The Cannons Roar: Fort Sumter and the Start of the Civil War—An Oral History

On April 12, 1861, Confederate troops began firing on Fort Sumter, beginning the bloodiest conflict in American history. Since that time numerous historians have described the attack in many well-regarded books, yet the event still remains overlooked at times in the minds of the public.

The Cannons Roar seeks to remedy that. Rather than providing a third-person, after-the-fact description, acclaimed author Bruce Chadwick will tell the story of the attack from the people who were in the thick of it. The Cannons Roar will not only provide portraits of the major players, it will give voice to dozens of regular people from across the country and socioeconomic spectrum.

Using letters, newspaper articles, diaries, journals, and other written sources, Chadwick describes in vivid detail the events preceding the attack, the attack itself, and its aftermath. Collectively, listeners will obtain a fuller understanding of the politics and thinking of political and military leaders that influenced their decisions or lack thereof.

Combining traditional history with the in-the-moment ethos of an oral history, The Cannons Roar brings this historic moment in American history to new and vivid life.