The Fiery Trial Author:Carl Sandburg The Fiery Trial is the story of ordinary American people—their hopes and fears, their defeats and exaltations—seen against the backdrop of the great Civil War, when all that is American was undergoing its baptism of fire. It is a story of one American family during one historical crisis; but, in its deeper significance, it is a glorious tribute... more » to all the dreamers and seekers who have ever followed "the blood-scarlet thread of America's destiny" in hopes of a better world—and all those who are yet to come. Written as only Carl Sandburg could write it, it is the book of a poet, a historian, a biographer, and an incomparable storyteller.« less