Lincoln's Code: The Laws of War in American History

Lincoln's Code: The Laws of War in American History

Pulitzer Prize Finalist
Bancroft Prize Winner
ABA Silver Gavel Award Winner
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

In the closing days of 1862, just three weeks before Emancipation, the administration of Abraham Lincoln commissioned a code setting forth the laws of war for US armies. It announced standards of conduct in wartimeâ€”concerning torture, prisoners of war, civilians, spies, and slavesâ€”that shaped the course of the Civil War. By the twentieth century, Lincolnâ€™s code would be incorporated into the Geneva Conventions and form the basis of a new international law of war.

In this deeply original book, John Fabian Witt tells the fascinating history of the laws of war and its eminent cast of charactersâ€”Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, and Lincolnâ€”as they crafted the articles that would change the course of world history. Wittâ€™s engrossing exploration of the dilemmas at the heart of the laws of war is a prehistory of our own era. Lincolnâ€™s Code reveals that the heated controversies of twenty-first-century warfare have roots going back to the beginnings of American history. It is a compelling story of ideals under pressure and a landmark contribution to our understanding of the American experience.
Country USA
Brand Free Press
Manufacturer Free Press
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9781416576174
ReleaseDate 2013-07-02
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781416576174

Country	USA
Brand	Free Press
Manufacturer	Free Press
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	9781416576174
ReleaseDate	2013-07-02
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781416576174

Lincoln's Code: The Laws of War in American History

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