Complete Idiot's Guide to the Confederacy

This book not only dispels most of the myths surrounding The War for Southern Independence (Civil War is actually incorrect) but is also an entertaining read. I highly recommend that those who know nothing but the propaganda put out by the North after the War and what is being taught today as the "truth" is only the victor's side of the story. This book provides an excellent balance for the reader to make up his or her mind and paves the way for more serious reading, such as the books by the Kennedy brothers (no, not John and Robert!). Learn the truth about slavery, the plight of the middle and lower class Southern farmer and how Sherman (who exhibited sociopathic and sadist personality traits) devastated innocent people and their land so harshly that many areas have still not recovered. If you want to be a fair-minded person, give this book a go and then question what you have been taught. There is a reason why Southern Generals, especially Lee, are still revered to this day even by their opponents and get a glimpse of the true love of family and soil that Southerners, black and white, possess to this day. Another rebel yell.....

It's about time someone gave us a really good look at Southern civilians during the Civil War, and this book does a better job than anything else I've read. It does look at the battles and the famous leaders, but even better it shows how the war years and afterward affected the common folk. There's also a really good chapter on the life of the average Southern soldier, the thousands of nameless Johnny Rebs. The chapter on the Confederate navy was welcome, and so was a chapter on Southern politics during the war. As a South Carolina boy, I give this a thumbs up and a good hearty Rebel yell too.

I am a Civil War re-enactor but admit I don't really like to READ history that much. But I did enjoy this a lot (got it as a Christmas gift) and recommend it. The background about all the politics and social issues leading up to the war was very helpful, gave me a new perspective on the roots of the war and secession. I knew a fair amount about some of the Confederate generals but wasn't too well versed in the politicians, so this book was an education. While I found a few minor errors in the index (not a big deal), the book was overall very thorough and well researched. The little boxed items scattered through the book (the "RebeLingo" items) were amusing and helpful. The author even had a section on us re-enactors, so I give him an extra star just for that!

I admit I only read books for pleasure. If a book bores me, I put it down. This was a pleasure to read, because I think the author knows what holds a reader's interest. Things that could have been really boring, like politics and the slavery issue and international relations, were made to hold my interest. I think this was a case where the material must have been close to the author's heart. I've enjoyed all the books in The Complete Idiots series, all are easy to understand. I hope they will do more historical books like this one on the Confederacy.

I can't imagine a more pleasant way to learn about the Confederacy, and the Civil War, than this book. The book begins with a section on all the issues leading up to the war, and he gives a broad and fascinating picture of Southern society. In later chapters he presents that society suffering through the privation of the war years. I liked the fact that he concentrates on the civilians just as much as the great military leaders like Lee and Jackson. He also gives some needed attention to the politicians, especially the president Jefferson Davis and the obstructionist vice-president Alex Stephens. The book could use a few more illustrations, but the text is nicely broken up with a lot of "boxed items," like the "RebeLingo" boxes that define terms, and the "Did Y'all Know?" boxes with their trivia tidbits. I guess my favorite chapter was the end, which looks at the "neo-Confederates" of today and why the old South still fascinates people.