Why the South Lost the Civil War [Paperback]

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

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1991

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.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: University of Georgia Press; New edition edition (October 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0820313963
• ISBN-13: 978-0820313962
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #585,946 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty complex book......, February 6, 2004

By 

lordhoot "lordhoot" (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

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

I considered this book to be an interesting and quite a complex book which integrated all facets of Civil War elements to explained why the South lost the Civil War. To fully appreciate this book, you have to be pretty well knowledgable about Civil War and understand it without regional bias. This is a military history book and probably not geared toward the casual reader. I have read the previous reviews and they tell me that these folks probably didn't understand what the authors were trying to do. A good example would be how one of them would complaint about how the authors would compared things with the Napoleonic armies and tactics. Well, to anyone who knows anything about the American Civil War, most of the miltiary commanders who were West Pointers were heavily influenced by the Napoleonic Wars and concepts. The southern commanders especially were heavily influenced by this. Its only logical that some cause and effect reasonings must be shown between the Confederate military effort and Napoleonic influence. Others complaint about lack of nationalism in the Confederacy that book explain. Yes, nationalism was very high at the beginning of the war but it wane considerably by the end. Like the Third Reich, Confederacy fought on beyond a reasonable limit and led to a devastating effects to the region as result. Lack of nationalism definitely made it easier for the North to overcome the south in the end as southern armies were bleeding men who were just walking away from their unit (see that movie Cold Harbor for small example). The hard core Confederate soldiers was heavily outnumbered by the southern population who just wanted the war to end. Was the authors bias against the south? I don't think so. I think the authors were pretty straight forward on the facts why the south lost the war. In defeat, the picture is never very pretty.

Overall, I found the book to be interesting. I supposed it could have been written so it might be easier for the casual readers but since it wasn't intended for such readers, it leaves folks like me to enjoyed what the authors had to say and to understand their perception even if I may agreed or disagreed at my option.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent expanation of why the confederacy lost, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

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

Clearly the above reviewer has no clue to the value of the scholarship in this book. The authors clearly explain the complex combination of factors leading to the confederate defeat. They avoid the easy, single explanation. The discussion is well-organzed and lucid as the four authors write as a single voice. They remind us that the tragedy of the civil war cannot be simply explained.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Serious Students of the Civil War, April 3, 2000

By 

Anthony Helton - See all my reviews

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

Beringer, et. al. provide a remarkable synthesis of military, social and cultural factors contributing to Confederate defeat. While much of their material may seem dry to young readers, this work is solid history written by consumate professionals. Although I disagree with their central thesis that a lack of will brought about the South's defeat, I do believe this had a significant effect along with the other factors. Perhaps, Beringer's thesis was a product of the era in which he wrote--the Post-Vietnam Era.