Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
"Sword's new book about the morale of civilian and military Confederates is a thorough and entertaining study." (Tampa Tribune-Times)
Review
"Dramatic and moving...a frequently fascinating glimpse at the genesis and durability of such Southern myths as Confederate 'valor' and the 'lost cause.'" (Booklist)
Review
"Through a combination of excellent writing and selection of the participants' words, Sword has provided us with a perception of the Southerner of the 1860s" --
Charleston Post & Courier"Sword's new book about the morale of civilian and military Confederates is a thorough and entertaining study." --Tampa Tribune-Times
"A compelling and nuanced accounting of the South's flawed confidence in its cause." --Kirkus Reviews
"Dramatic and moving...a frequently fascinating glimpse at the genesis and durability of such Southern myths as Confederate 'valor' and the 'lost cause.'" --Booklist
About the Author
Wiley Sword is the author of several Civil War histories, including
Mountains Touched with Fire and
Embrace an Angry Wind. He has won the Fletcher Pratt Prize for the best book of Civil War history and has been nominated for the Pulitzer, Parkman, Bancroft, and Western Heritage prizes. He lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.