PRAISE FOR 1858"Highly recommended—a gripping narrative of the critical year of 1858 and the nation's slide toward disunion and war…Readers seeking to understand how individuals are agents of historical change will find Chadwick's account of the failed leadership of President James Buchanan especially compelling." —G. Kurt Piehler, author of Remembering War the American Way "Chadwick's excellent history shows how the issue of slavery came crashing into the professional, public, and private lives of many Americans…Chadwick offers a fascinating premise: that James Buchanan, far from being a passive spectator, played a major role in the drama of his time. 1858 is a welcome addition to scholarship of the most volatile period of American history." —Frank Cucurullo, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee MemorialAs 1858 dawned, the men who would become the iconic figures of the Civil War had no idea it was about to occur: Jefferson Davis was dying, Robert E. Lee was on the verge of resigning fr