Try free for 30 days

  • At the Edge of the Precipice

  • Henry Clay and the Compromise That Saved the Union
  • By: Robert V. Remini
  • Narrated by: William Hughes
  • Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
At the Edge of the Precipice cover art

At the Edge of the Precipice

By: Robert V. Remini
Narrated by: William Hughes
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $17.00

Buy Now for $17.00

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

A National Book Award-winning historian brilliantly portrays Henry Clay’s heroic brokering of the Compromise of 1850, with its timely message about bipartisanship in times of crisis.

It has been said that if Henry Clay had been alive in 1860, there would have been no Civil War. Based on his performance in 1850, it may well be true. In that year, the United States faced one of the most dangerous crises in its history, having just acquired a huge parcel of land from the war with Mexico. Northern and Southern politicians fought over whether slavery should be legal on the new American soil. After a Northern congressman introduced a proviso to forbid slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico, Southerners threatened to secede from the Union. Only Henry Clay, America’s great compromiser, could keep the Union together, saving it from dissolution for 10 crucial years.

In this masterful contribution to American history, Remini explores Henry Clay’s final and most important act of bipartisanship.

©2010 Robert V. Remini (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic Reviews

“Remini breaks down the debate into palatable pieces for the lay reader….A fresh look at the value of compromise in advancing the general interest.” ( Kirkus Reviews)
"Award-winning historian Remini…give[s] an informed and lively recounting of the (in)famous Compromise of 1850….showing how the ‘great men’ like Henry Clay tried to manage sectional reconciliation and their own ambitions." ( Library Journal)

What listeners say about At the Edge of the Precipice

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.