Kindle EBook so only about 25 pages long.

A good synopsis of the historiography of the Civil War's place in our collective memory. The author does a nice job summarizing the current consensus of scholars as to its catalyst (slavery), as well as the history of how a Southern "lost cause" narrative gained a foothold not only with a reconstruction weary public, but with scholars - both north and south - which lasted into the mid-twentieth century.

Though no serious student of this era would now claim the war was about anything other than slavery (as opposed to abolition), there remains a sector of the population who wish to retain a belief in the "lost cause" myth. The author does a good job of describing this dissonance.

No original research really. Written in a journalistic style. Well worth an hour of your time! ( )

This Kindle single is short (26 pages). While it held no surprises, I did expect something more than a dry, boring repeat of what led to the Civil War. There is little discussion of the causes leading up to the war. The author could have made a list with bullets and it would not have been more boring. ( )