In conventional books of history, the Confederacy lost in battle to the superior numbers and resources of the Union. This is not one of those conventional books. Robinson (history, U. of Virginia) died in the course of creating this, his life's work, and his widow and colleagues assembled it from drafts and notes. Had it been a conventional book, they might have labored out of affection for the author, but they also committed themselves to the work because Robinson had found evidence that conventional history was simply wrong. He concentrated on the Mississippi River Valley and the social workings behind the scenes of battle, such as the ongoing debate about slavery between elite plantation owners and the other classes of the south, the collapse of a society based on slavery when tested by war, and attrition and desertion based not on cowardice but on a decided lack of support for slavery amongst those who did most of the fighting on foot. In his research Robinson found slave unrest, the curtailment of civil liberties, counterinsurgency and the rise of an antiwar movement led directly to defeat in battle. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)