Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation

by John Boyko

Overview

Blood and Daring will change our views not just of Canada's relationship with the United States, but of the Civil War, Confederation and Canada itself.

In Blood and Daring, lauded historian John Boyko makes a compelling argument that Confederation occurred when and as it did largely because of the pressures of the Civil War. Many readers will be shocked by Canada's deep connection to the war—Canadians fought in every major battle, supplied arms to the South, and many key Confederate meetings took place on Canadian soil.

Filled with engaging stories and astonishing facts from previously unaccessed primary sources, Boyko's fascinating new interpretation of the war will appeal to all readers of history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307361462
Publisher:	Knopf Canada
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

JOHN BOYKO is the author of seven previous books, including Cold Fire: Kennedy's Northern Front, which was shortlisted for the J.W. Dafoe Literary Award for non-fiction, and Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation, which was shortlisted for a Governor General's Literary Award for its English-to-French translation, Voisins et ennemis. La guerre de Sécession et l'invention du Canada. Boyko is an op-ed contributor to the Globe and Mail, Calgary Herald, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Maclean's, and more. He also writes entries for the Canadian Encyclopedia. Boyko has earned degrees from Trent, Queen's and McMaster universities, served on and chaired many boards, and been elected to municipal office. He lives in Lakefield, Ontario.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Bad Neighbours in a Dangerous Neighbourhood 1

1 John Anderson and the Railroad to Freedom and War 15

2 William Seward and the Power of Divided Loyalties 61

3 Sarah Emma Edmonds: Donning the Blue and Grey 107

4 Jacob Thompson and the Confederates in the Attic 147

5 George Brown and the Improbable Nation 197

6 John A. Macdonald: The Indispensable Man 237

Epilogue: Danger in the War's Shadow 283

Notes 307

Bibliography 331

Acknowledgements 342

Photo credits 344

Index 345

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Boyko consistently demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of Canadian history.... Boyko's writing is so good and his research so thorough that any Canadian with an interest in our political history can read and enjoy this book."
—Winnipeg Free Press
 
"A distinguished scholar of Canadian political history."
—The Globe and Mail

Editorial Reviews

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

“A wonderful and seamless popular history full of colourful characters, intrigue and political backstabbing of the first order. Though there is no secret as to how the book ends . . . [Boyko] deftly adds enough suspense to keep readers turning the pages. . . . Boyko’s accomplished narrative is precisely the kind of popular history that deserves a wide audience.” —National Post

“A thrilling, near-theatrical look at the years leading up to Confederation. . . . The authoritative narration is clear, precise, and entirely enjoyable for non-scholars. The book presents a startlingly unfamiliar and ominously dangerous period in Canadian-American relations; the world’s longest undefended border was in danger of bursting into flames, unless a unified country could emerge from the tangle of British colonies. It’s the birth of Canada in all its glory and muck.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Boyko has spun a compelling narrative. Better still, it’s supported by just the right measure of academic rigour.” —Winnipeg Free Press

“A fast-paced read, and Boyko skillfully weaves together the complex and conflict-filled Canadian, British and American wartime policy.” —The Globe and Mail

“In the middle of the nineteenth century, Canada was at a risk never matched before or since. After threatening invasion during the Civil War, the United States looked northwards after it was won to fulfill its Manifest Destiny. Historian John Boyko tells this story in Blood and Daring. . . . With verve and passion and impeccable research, Boyko makes this vital story come alive.” —Richard Gwyn, award-winning author of John A. and Nation Maker
 
“The American Civil War involved more of the North American continent than the Union and the Confederacy. Forty thousand Canadians fought in Union armies, Confederate agents operated in Canadian provinces, and the Canadian-American border was the scene of skirmishes that threatened to escalate into a larger conflict. In this lively and eye-opening book, John Boyko shows how the war and its aftermath not only gave the United States a new birth of freedom; it also gave birth to the new nation of Canada.” —James M. McPherson, Princeton University’s Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom

From the Publisher

The American Civil War not only pitted Northerner against Southerner, but also threatened to drag Canada, and by extension, Britain, into its conflagration. Boyko (Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation) weaves together disparate yet connected plot lines, fueled by a succession of multi-faceted characters in a thrilling, near-theatrical look at the years leading up to Confederation. Boyko presents his facts through the prism of six historical players, beginning with former slave John Anderson and ending with Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister. The other protagonists are likewise cleverly selected to round out the account: turncoat statesman Jacob Thompson, aggressive expansionist William Seward, farm girl-turned-war nurse Sarah Emma Edmonds and editor-politician George Brown. Quotes gleaned from letters, newspapers and speeches give readers a boots-on-the-ground understanding of the events of the 1860s. The authoritative narration is clear, precise, and entirely enjoyable for non-scholars. The book presents a startlingly unfamiliar and ominously dangerous period in Canadian-American relations; the world's longest undefended border was in danger of bursting into flames, unless a unified country could emerge from the tangle of British colonies. It's the birth of Canada in all its glory and muck. Distribution: Random House. Helen Heller Agency (May)

Publishers Weekly