To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Jamie Malanowski, lead writer of The New York Times' highly accliamed Disunion blog, masterfully recounts the origins of America's greatest national tragedy in real time.

Drawing on diaries, speeches, and newspaper accounts of the six months leading up to the first shots fired on Fort Sumter, 'And the War Came' chronicles the events that tore the nation apart, and delves into the hearts and minds of the men and women who tried in vain to avoid a conflict on American soil. From the controversial election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 and the failed Crittenden Compromise to the secession of several Southern states and the election of Jefferson Davis, Malanowski draws indelible portraits of the politicians and soldiers who controlled the country's destiny. And by unfolding, week by week, the major issues and emotional nuances that led to the Civil War, he sheds new light on the darkest period in American history.

Jamie Malanowski has been an editor at Time, Esquire, and Spy, and is the author of the novel 'The Coup.'