Timothy S. Huebner has produced a valuable study of American constitutionalism, a study that could do enormous good if people read it. Gracefully written, it is also lengthy and scholarly, which means that readers must possess two qualities—patience and intellectual candor—to appreciate the magnitude of Huebner’s achievement.
Liberty and Union is remarkable for several reasons. It explores a wide range of themes in American history pertaining to the Civil War era, and it does so with a comprehensiveness that is almost encyclopedic. In the hands of a less capable author, this account might digress into meandering side trips. But that never happens here: Huebner’s mastery of the material and his synthesizing mind keep the book on track from start to finish.
