Schoen has written an immensely important history of southern political economy, one that is destined to be prominent in future studies of the Old South.
James L. Huston Civil War Book Review 2010 Schoen's chronological approach in five chapter develops his arguments and does a masterful job of keeping the focus on cotton, its politics, its exploitation of slaves, ... Read moreand ultimately the self-delusions of the cotton states vis-a-vis the world... An excellent book on all counts. Highly recommended. Choice 2010 A sophisticated, nuanced analysis of elite political-economic rhetoric in the antebellum South.
Lawrence A. Peskin North Carolina Historical Review 2010 In sure-footed fashion, Brian Schoen guides the reader through overlooked issues in the oft-told account of southern secession.
Frank J. Byrne Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 2010 Students of the causes of the Civil War should read The Fragile Fabric of Union. It is well written and extensively documented... The author brings the issues to life by illustrating how economic self interested colored the views of the South to the point that it was willing to sunder the Union and go to war.
Stephen Donnelly Historical Journal of Massachusetts 2010 I found myself reading this book in light of current events. Schoen does a good job pointing out that legislative victors may rue their triumph, while losers may inadvertently reap benefits from loathed legislation... The book is clearly written.
David G. Surdam Journal of Economic History 2010 Impressive... Adds an intriguing new dimension to ongoing debates about the nature of southern economic development, what motivated southern states to secede, why they seceded when they did, and ultimately what caused the Civil War.
Beth English American Historical Review 2010 In this provocative book, he forces historians who have not done so already to discount 'Lost Cause' lore and pay greater attention to southerners who thought they could use their monopoly in raw cotton as leverage to advance the interests of their region in the larger world.
Glenn C. Altschuler Journal of Interdisciplinary History 2010 An important contribution to the reinterpretation of plantation slavery and the origins of the U.S. Civil War... A lucidly written, richly researched, and convincing analysis of the global forces that shaped the politics of the southern slaveholders.
Charles Post Journal of American History There is much to admire in Brian Schoen's ambitious new book... A remarkable scholarly debut that represents one of the most important studies of 'why the South fought' to be released in over a generation.
Scott P. Marler Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 2009 Schoen's readable prose deserves a wide audience. His explanations of tariffs and other economic issues are clear, and he has admirable command of a wide range of political and economic subjects (both domestically and in foreign relations). This book will be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any scholar of the antebellum era.
Aaron W. Marrs Technology and Culture 2011 Schoen extends the transatlantic dimensions of this era; just as the politics of slavery were shaped by developments in the Caribbean and Europe, so too did the political economy of cotton stretch throughout the Atlantic world. This book should be read by all those interested in broadening their understanding of both the Atlantic world of the nineteenth century and the coming of the American Civil War.
Ed Rugemer H-CivWar, H-Net Reviews Schoen challenges previous studies and underscores the impact of external global economics as a primary cause of the Civil War. This contention is likely to stir controversy and healthy debate.
Michael Russert Civil War News 2010 Schoen's Fragile Fabric commendably sheds renewed light on the conflict's origins at the local, sectional, and transatlantic level.
Marc-William Palen Southern Historian 2011 Show Less