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James M. McPherson: Historian of the American Civil War

A conversation with historian James M. McPherson

How the US Civil War became “a remorseless revolutionary struggle”

By David Walsh, February 28, 2003

A recent conversation with historian James McPherson of Princeton University was prompted by two events: the appearance of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, which purports to deal with an epi...

An interview with historian James M. McPherson

The Civil War, impeachment then and now and Lincoln's legacy—Part 3

By David Walsh, May 21, 1999

This is the third part of an interview conducted by WSWS editorial board member David Walsh with James M. McPherson. Walsh spoke to McPherson, the distinguished historian of the Civil War era, in his ...

An interview with historian James M. McPherson

The Civil War, impeachment then and now and Lincoln's legacy—Part 2

By David Walsh, May 20, 1999

This is the second part of an interview conducted by WSWS editorial board member David Walsh with James M. McPherson. Walsh spoke to McPherson, the distinguished historian of the Civil War era, in his...

An interview with historian James M. McPherson

The Civil War, impeachment then and now, and Lincoln's legacy—Part 1

By David Walsh, May 19, 1999

WSWS editorial board member David Walsh recently spoke to James McPherson, the distinguished historian of the Civil War era in his office at Princeton University. Professor McPherson's works include A...

Historian James M. McPherson and the cause of intellectual integrity

By David Walsh, May 18, 1999

Starting tomorrow we will be presenting on the WSWS a lengthy interview with James M. McPherson, probably the leading contemporary historian of the American Civil War era. We hope that readers will fi...

James McPherson's What They Fought For: When great ideals gripped the American people

By David Walsh,

[Originally published in the International Workers Bulletin, December 5, 1994]

"There is a big idea which is at stake"—Corporal in the 105th Ohio, 1864

For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, by James M. McPherson, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997

By David Walsh,

[Originally published in the International Workers Bulletin, November 3, 1997]

An exchange with a Civil War historian

By David Walsh,

[Originally published in the International Workers Bulletin, June 19, 1995]