Southern Invincibility: A History of the Confederate Heart [Hardcover]

Wiley Sword (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

Southern pride -- the notion that the South's character distinguishes it from the rest of the country -- had a profound impact on how and why Confederates fought the Civil War, and continued to mold their psyche after they had been defeated. In Southern Invincibility, award-winning historian Wiley Sword traces the roots of the South's belief in its own superiority and examines the ways in which that conviction contributed to the war effort, even when it became clear that the South would not win. Informed by thorough research, Southern Invincibility is the historical investigation of a psychology that continues to define the South.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

If Confederate defeat was inevitable, why did white Southerners go to war in 1861? Part of the reason, according to Sword, is because they thought themselves superior to their Yankee counterparts. The author of several battle and campaign studies, Sword explores how this miscalculation shaped the morale of Confederate soldiers and civilians and how this perception was eroded until by the end there was nothing left to do but accept defeat. Portraits of Confederate soldiers and civilians reinforce Sword's argument that they failed not because they lacked the will to win but because they underestimated their opponent. Whether the notion of Southern invincibility was limited to supporters of the Confederacy (there were a sizable number of white unionists) is not explored. Ironically, claims of Southern cultural and ideological superiority resurfaced after Appomattox as a way to cope with the pain of failureAgiving rise to the distorted view of the past known as the Lost Cause Myth. For public and academic libraries.ABrooks D. Simpson, Arizona State Univ., Tempe
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

If perception is reality, the Southern perceptions before, during, and after the Civil War have had a significant impact on the reality of Southern regionalism. Sword, the author of several Civil War histories, examines the roots and consequences of the Southern sense of cultural uniqueness. He makes extensive use of the recollections of individual Confederate soldiers and civilians. The effect is frequently dramatic and moving, particularly when individuals find their dreams of glory running smack up against the squalor of war. Yet one wonders if Sword buys too easily into the southern sense of uniqueness. After all, recent research has shown far less solidarity and far more desertions in Confederate armies than has been previously indicated. It is also irrefutable that most Confederate states had active Unionist sympathizers who harried the war effort. Unfortunately, Sword has neglected their voices in his study. Still, despite a somewhat one-sided view, this is a frequently fascinating glimpse at the genesis and durability of such Southern myths as Confederate "valor" and the "lost cause." Jay Freeman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312203667
• ISBN-13: 978-0312203665
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,541,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, November 1, 2001

By 

Paul W. Posey "n4bpp" (Grovetown, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southern Invincibility: A History of the Confederate Heart (Hardcover)

as a southerner, born in south carolina and an avid civil war reader, i found this book wonderful. it clearly defines the sad, but early belief of most souterner's, that ended in almost ruin of the south. mr. sword's book's are excellent and offer a wonderful, if not debating issue of the south during the civil war. 10 members of my family served in the civil war, and reading their letters, etc., at the start and later as the war ended is quite revealing of changing fortunes of war.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warning: Will spark your interest for the Confederacy, December 19, 2002

By 

Steve (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Southern Invincibility: A History of the Confederate Heart (Paperback)

I'll put it bluntly: this book was great. The book flowed extremely well, starting out with the mindset before the war and progressing smoothly until the end. The way Sword brings the reader into the minds (and hearts, as the subtitle mentions) is amazing.

The only drawback was that it seemed from Sword's choice of battles and his method of presenting them that, should the reader be unfortunate enough to know nothing about the Civil War, one reading the book would think that the Confederacy lost every battle. This naturally added at times to the effectiveness of what he was trying to present, and this is a MINOR flaw, but it is literally the only reason I did not rate this book as perfect.

A must read for anyone even remotely interested in the U.S. Civil War. It's entertaining, short, and an easy read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done - sometimes depressing, August 16, 2007

By 

David S. Rhodes (Scottsdale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Southern Invincibility: A History of the Confederate Heart (Paperback)

The historical perspective of this book is awesome. The author has done a very good job of capturing the essence of history. His narratives on the war, military strategies, and home life are just exceptional.

The only criticism I have is the constant "it just couldn't get worse, but it did" followed by "it couldn't get worse, but it did". I understand that losing a war involves multiple negative events but I sometimes felt like quitting the book because it things just got endlessly worse for every person and event involved.

A few happy endings might have lifted this book a bit.