Why the South Lost the Civil War [Hardcover]

Richard E. Beringer (Author), William N. Still. Jr. (Author), Archer Jones (Author), Herman Hattaway (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1986

In this widely heralded book first published in 1986, four historians consider the popularly held explanations for southern defeat--state-rights disputes, inadequate military supply and strategy, and the Union blockade--undergirding their discussion with a chronological account of the war's progress. In the end, the authors find that the South lacked the will to win, that weak Confederate nationalism and the strength of a peculiar brand of evangelical Protestantism sapped the South's ability to continue a war that was not yet lost on the field.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

According to the authors, the South lost the Civil War because Southern nationalism was weak, indeed almost nonexistent. Previously, many reasons have been cited for Confederate collapse, such as states rights squabbles, the Union's naval blockade, economic weaknesses, and inadequate military leadership. The authors make interesting but not always convincing counterarguments, concluding that states rights actually helped the Confederacy, the naval blockade was ineffective, the South's economy kept its armies supplied, and military leadership was about equal on both sides. While refuting views of several historians, including those in Why the North Won the Civil War, edited by David Donald (1960), the essays here are, overall, not as persuasive as in that book, though they are sure to renew the historical debate. Suitable mainly for university and large public libraries. History Book Club main selection. Joseph G. Dawson III, History Dept., Texas A&M Univ., College Station
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"[The authors] show that the Southern states were not united around a single leader or cause. . . . In the end, they discovered that God did not wear gray."--New York Times

"The most comprehensive, sophisticated, and well-informed [book on this subject] I have ever read."--New York Review of Books

"Should be required reading for anyone interested in the Confederate experiment. Its superb analysis of the previous literature, including respectful disagreement with many of the conclusions of Owsley, McWhiney, Jamieson and other prominent historians, makes it an ideal starting point for any discussion of Confederate defeat."--Dallas Times-Herald

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 582 pages
• Publisher: University of Georgia Press; 1st edition (May 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0820308153
• ISBN-13: 978-0820308159
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,660,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enduring Classic, July 16, 2004

By 

Gregory J. W. Urwin "Gregory J. W. Urwin" (Temple University, Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why the South Lost the Civil War (Hardcover)

_Why the South Lost the Civil War_ was hailed as a classic at its first appearance in 1986, and it continues to remain a useful survey of the Civil War and an exploration of the reasons for the Confederacy's defeat. I have regularly assigned it to my undergraduate and graduate students at both the University of Central Arkansas (where I taught until 1999) and Temple University, and most have never failed to get a lot out of it (including those who are professional military officers).

In many ways, the book is a reflection of America's experience in the Vietnam War, where the side with the larger armies, greater wealth, and technological advantages failed to win. To say that the Confederacy lost the Civil War simply because it was outnumbered and outgunned is only half the story. Why did Confederates choose to quit when their forebears in the American Revolution persevered against even more formidable odds? While some may question this book's insufficient nationalism thesis, it is delineated with such grace and authority that the effort demands respect.

The book begins by providing a comprehensive overview of previously offered theories explaining the fall of the Confederacy. That historiographical survey alone makes this book worth the price of admission and makes it an invaluable tool for the serious Civil War student.

As some of the other reviews here attest, this is not a book for those who prefer their Civil War history as vapid entertainment. If you are just interested in killing, there are plenty of good battle and campaign histories to read. But if you are the kind who wonders why nations rise and fall and how wars are won and lost, you will find this a rewarding and thought-provoking experience.