Download or read book Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Battle for America written by David S. Reynolds and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-06-13 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Fascinating . . . a lively and perceptive cultural history.” —Annette Gordon-Reed, The New Yorker In this wide-ranging, brilliantly researched work, David S. Reynolds traces the factors that made Uncle Tom’s Cabin the most influential novel ever written by an American. Upon its 1852 publication, the novel’s vivid depiction of slavery polarized its American readership, ultimately widening the rift that led to the Civil War. Reynolds also charts the novel’s afterlife—including its adaptation into plays, films, and consumer goods—revealing its lasting impact on American entertainment, advertising, and race relations.