<DIV>In this riveting history, one of America’s most respected historians traces the ?disease in the public mind”—distortions of reality that seized many Americans—in the decades–long buildup to the Civil War.<BR><BR>?<I>A Disease in the Public Mind</I> is not simply a thoughtful read, it is another call never to forget our sordid past, to face and conquer our fears.”—<I>New York Journal of Books</I><BR><BR>?A great deal of fine scholarship.? Well researched and well-written.? [A] superbly revisionist book.”—<I>Wall Street Journal</I><BR><BR>?The very essence of good history.”—<I>Roanoke Times</I><BR></DIV>