Suggests that that the Confederate States of America had a strong constitutional case, and that modern ideas of this region and time period rely heavily on stereotypes and misinformation.

Title Page; Dedication; Praise; Part I -- WHY THE SOUTH WAS RIGHT; Chapter One -- A COUNTRY OF THEIR OWN; Was the war really all about slavery?; The New Republic; Chapter Two -- THE GUNPOWDER TRAIL; Abolitionists help abolish the Union; Lincoln's dilemma; "Fort Sumter's been fired upon, my regiment leaves at dawn"; Pride versus power; Part II -- THE HISTORY OF THE WAR IN SIXTEEN BATTLES YOU SHOULD KNOW; Chapter Three -- DIXIE RISING, 1861-1863; First Manassas (21 July 1861); Shiloh (6-7 April 1862); The Shenandoah Valley Campaign (1862); The Seven Days (25 June to 1 July 1862). Second Manassas (28-30 August 1862)Sharpsburg (or Antietam) (17 September 1862); Fredericksburg (11-13 December 1862); Murfreesboro (31 December to 2 January 1862); Chancellorsville (1-3 May 1863); Vicksburg (29 March to 4 July 1863); Gettysburg (1-3 July 1863); Chapter Four -- THE LONG GOODBYE, 1863-1865; Chickamauga (18-20 September 1863); Chattanooga (24-25 November 1863); Atlanta (7 May to 2 September 1864); The Virginia Campaign of 1864; Petersburg and Appomattox (15 June 1864 to 9 April 1865); Part III -- EMINENT CIVIL WAR GENERALS; Chapter Five -- ROBERT E. LEE (1807-1870). The George Washington of the ConfederacyAction in Mexico; Peace at West Point, bandits in Texas, slaves at Arlington; The Crisis; Chapter Six -- GEORGE H. THOMAS (1816-1870); A humble general; No better place to die; The Rock; Dealing with Bragg; Hammer and Anvil: Sherman and Thomas; Punishing rebels; Chapter Seven -- WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN (1820-1891); Sherman's "religion"; Sherman: The young soldier; Sherman: Free trade equals war, and so does Democracy; Early campaigns; Recovery in battle; Military governor of Memphis; Vicksburg; Chapter Eight -- JAMES LONGSTREET (1821-1904). A Dutchman among CavaliersFrom Manassas to Manassas; "I will kill them all before they reach my line"; "Longstreet is the man!"; Longstreet the scalawag; Chapter Nine -- NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST (1821-1877); The gunfighter; The slave trader; Confederate cavalryman; "I am going out of this place or bust hell wide open"; "Ah, Colonel, all is fair in love and war"; "No damned man shall kill me and live"; Forrest versus Bragg; Controversy at Fort Pillow; Fighting to the end; Reconstruction's foe; The Klansman; Chapter Ten -- ULYSSES S. GRANT (1822-1885); A horse-loving boy; At war in Mexico. Peace but not prosperityReturn to the colors; "Unconditional Surrender" Grant; The road to Appomattox; From lieutenant general to commander in chief; Chapter Eleven -- THOMAS JONATHAN "STONEWALL" JACKSON(1824-1863); From West Point to Mexico; "Tom Fool" Jackson; The reluctant secessionist; Jackson's battles; "Tom Fool" Jackson becomes "Stonewall" Jackson; The hero of the valley; Chancellorsville and death; Chapter Twelve -- A.P. HILL (1825-1865); A not-so-reluctant secessionist; "Always ready for a fight"; Battles front and rear; Bloody roads; Corps commander. Chapter Thirteen -- GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN (1826-1885).