The Ordeal of the Reunion

“Effectively captures the turmoil and frustrations of the era. . . . [and] shows how economic woes affected Reconstruction’s prospects.” — Publishers Weekly

“Marvelously written.” — CHOICE

“A superb spinner of tales. . . . An important book, full of details and insights, and it deserves serious attention.” — Journal of Southern History

“Summers has devoted almost half a century to a study of the period, and it shows.” — Blue & Gray Magazine

“An overall framework for understanding the key problems of the period. . . . This is an important book, providing food for thought, if only because, tonally as well as substantively, it offers a counterpoint to the dominant narrative.”—Journal of the Civil War Era

“Summers’s rich and careful new history of Reconstruction stands out in a crowded field....[His] mastery of the sources has allowed him to write an impressively thorough history of the period, and to pull together diverse strains with uncommon sophistication.” — H-Net Reviews

“A new narrative of the period featuring novel interpretations and sparkling insight.” — North Carolina Historical Review

“Skillfully written and a benefit to students, scholars, and those fascinated with the postwar years.” — Southwestern Historical Quarterly

“A valuable resource for scholars who teach in the field of Reconstruction.” — Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

“Readers interested in Reconstruction will find Summers’ book to be a rollicking, deeply researched overview....[A] colorful guide to the politics of the era.” — Journal of Interdisciplinary History