"The former Confederate states have continually mythologized the South's defeat to the North, depicting the Civil War as unnecessary, or as a fight over states' Constitutional rights, or as a David v. Goliath struggle in which the North waged 'total war' over an underdog South. In The Myth of the Lost Cause, historian Edward Bonekemper deconstructs this multi-faceted myth, revealing the truth about the war that nearly tore the nation apart 150 years ago"- - Provided by publisher.

The myth of the lost cause -- What was the nature of slavery in 1861 and was it a dying institution? -- Was slavery the primary cause of secession and the Civil War? -- Could the South have won the Civil War? -- Was Robert E. Lee one of the greatest generals in history? -- Did James Longstreet lose the Battle of Gettysburg and thus the war? -- Did Ulysses S. Grant win the Civil War simply by brute force and superior numbers? -- Did the North win by waging "total war"? -- Conclusion.