by Thomas RittenburgFrom the publisher:
The American Civil War continues to stir passion and fascination for many readers and historians. While there are hundreds of books about the war itself there are hardly any that delve into the mysteries of why a once united country at peace with itself and the world went to war-a war that has not been exceeded on this continent for its destruction or slaughter. In Compelled to Fight the causes of the Civil War are examined through Rockbridge County, Virginia, a microcosm of ante bellum Virginia and touches upon why this Union loving people in the most critical Southern border state abandoned hope of compromise and cast their lot with the slaveholding South. Read this book and you will understand why Virginia seceded.
