Judah P. Benjamin had been a U.S. Senator for the State of Louisiana prior to the American Civil War. He was the first acknowledge Jew in the U.S. Senate. After the formation of the Confederate States, Benjamin became a cabinet member of Jefferson Davis's presidency, serving first as Attorney General, then Secretary of War and finally as Secretary of State.
Benjamin married a Catholic creole from New Orleans and made his home in Louisiana. The marriage was not a happy one. His wife left him for Europe and most of their married live was spent on separate continents.
Evans brings to live Judah Benjamin, who was called the "brains behind the Confederacy," but has been largely left to obscurity in American history. This book also bring insight into the American Civil war from both the Union and the Confederacy. It was a fascinating book, that I found hard to put down.
Read: April 14, 2012
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