Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten - (Steven and Janice Brose Lectures in the Civil War Era) by Gary W Gallagher (Paperback)

About the Book

More than 60,000 books have been published on the Civil War. Most Americans, though, get their ideas about the war--why it was fought, what was won, what was lost--not from books but from movies, television, and other popular media. Too often those portrayals overlook many of the very ideas that motivated the generation that fought the war. In an engaging and accessible survey, Civil War historian Gary Gallagher guides readers through the stories told in recent film and art, showing how they have both reflected and influenced the political, social, and racial currents of their times. The most influential perspective for the Civil War generations, says Gallagher, is almost entirely absent from the Civil War stories being told today. Gallagher argues that popular understandings of the war have been shaped by four traditions that arose in the nineteenth century and continue to the present: the Lost Cause, in which Confederates are seen as having waged an admirable struggle against hopeless odds; the Union Cause, which frames the war as an effort to maintain a viable republic in the face of secessionist actions; the Emancipation Cause, in which the war is viewed as a struggle to liberate 4 million slaves and eliminate a cancerous influence on American society; and the Reconciliation Cause, which represents attempts by northern and southern whites to extol "American" virtues and mute the role of African Americans.

Book Synopsis

More than 60,000 books have been published on the Civil War. Most Americans, though, get their ideas about the war -- why it was fought, what was won, what was lost -- not from books but from movies, television, and other popular media. In an engaging and accessible survey, Gary W. Gallagher guides readers through the stories told in recent film and art, showing how these stories have both reflected and influenced the political, social, and racial currents of their times.

Review Quotes

"[A] highly entertaining analysis of how the Civil War has been treated in popular culture." -- The Boston Globe

"A highly informative, well-illustrated, and wonderfully entertaining book." -- The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

"A short and very readable book that should appeal to anyone with more than a passing interest in the Civil War." -- On Point

"A solidly researched and intriguing exploration of the influence of popular culture on public understanding of the war. Anyone interested in the Civil War and the impact of media on historical understanding will find Gallagher's latest book rewarding on many levels." -- Civil War Times

"A welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on the Civil War in popular culture, and it makes for a breezy and edifying read for the scholar and layperson alike." -- North Carolina Historical Review

"Gallagher, one of our finest historians of the Civil War, brings an abundance of sharp insights to this thoughtful analysis. By drawing attention to four principal traditions of interpretation in cinema and art, he demonstrates how popular culture both reflects and shapes our understanding of the war's meaning." -- American Historical Review

"Highly recommended." -- CHOICE

"In-depth, analytical, and thought-provoking. . . . An important, must read for students of the Civil War." -- Journal of American History

"Innovative in its approach, provocative in its arguments, and fundamentally interesting, but, most significantly . . . will drive further discussion of Civil War memory through popular culture." -- West Virginia History

"Provides insight into how the war is viewed in contemporary American culture. . . . The four interpretive frameworks Gallagher uses for his analysis are instructive for understanding the dominant trends in art and film." -- Southern Historian