Steve’s fifth book, The Caning: The Assault That Drove America to Civil War, is now available in stores and online. The book has been selected by the History Book Club, the Military Book Club, and as an alternate selection of Book of the Month Club.

Russell S. Bonds, author of War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta, said “Stephen Puleo’s beautifully written, compelling account of the caning and its aftermath presents the often-overlooked drama of the late 1850’s, illuminating a cast of fascinating characters — not only Brooks and Sumner, but Stephen Douglas, John Brown, and Abraham Lincoln — just as they step from the wings onto the great stage of history.” Steve has scheduled a series of appearances to coincide with the book’s launch, and last week the Boston Globe ran a feature on the book, stating “As a divided nation faces a close election and recalls the 150th anniversary of polarization’s worst case scenario — the Civil War — a new book focuses on an act of violence in 1856 that turned moderates into hard-liners and made war almost inevitable.”

Read more about The Caning.