A British-American historian whose latest work explores U.S.-British relations during the Civil War opened the 2011-12 Institute for the Humanities Distinguished Lecture Series Tuesday. Amanda Foreman of New York and London based her address around "A World on Fire: An Epic History of Two Nations Divided," her book released last year by Random House USA and Allen Lane UK. During her lecture, Foreman captivated the Lee Hall audience with the stories of two British subjects who came to America to support the Confederacy.