Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863

Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863 by Adam G. De Gurowski throws listeners into the raw immediacy of wartime Washington, offering a day-by-day memoir of politics, diplomacy, and military life during a pivotal year of the American Civil War. De Gurowski’s journal entries blend sharp political commentary with vivid reportage on cabinet crises, press battles, and contentious military commands—names such as Chase, Seward, Halleck, Burnside, Hooker and Rosecrans recur alongside reflections on Fredericksburg, recruitment, and the debate over arming African Americans. He also tracks international dimensions—diplomacy with Britain and European perceptions of the conflict—exposing the frictions between wartime policy and public opinion. Part history, part political analysis and personal memoir, this diary is candid, often polemical, and rich with contemporary detail that illuminates how decisions were argued and made behind closed doors. Ideal for Civil War enthusiasts, students of 19th-century American politics, and listeners who favor primary-source history and memoirs, De Gurowski’s account rewards anyone wanting an unvarnished, up-close perspective on the struggles that shaped the Union’s war effort.