Allan Nevins (1890-1971) began life as a journalist but ended it with a reputation as one of the best popular American historians of the day. Although he wrote a number of books on a variety of topics, he is most famous for his eight-volume study of the Civil War.

Allan Nevins was born on a farm near Camp Point, Illinois, on May 20, 1890, the son of Joseph and Emma (Stahl) Nevins. According to Nevins, his father, who was a stern Presbyterian, enjoined him to work hard, an injunction he followed faithfully all of his life.

Nevins received his academic training at the University of Illinois, earning an A.B. in 1912 and an A.M. the following year. His first academic appointment was as a graduate instructor in English while working on his master's degree. While still a student at Illinois he began writing two books, one on Robert Rogers...