This interesting and timely collection of essays on the Civil War, a reprint from 2000, examines the myth of the "Lost Cause," the belief that the South was doomed from the beginning of the war and that the brave rebels fought a last ditch effort for state's rights, highlighting evidence that this propagandized effort to frame the debate independent of the reality of the circumstances was a deliberate and concerted effort from early in the war. The papers in this collection discuss various facets of the Lost Cause phenomenon including efforts during the war to frame future debate, the role of veterans organizations in fostering the concept, and the role of literature in the distortion of the historical memory of antebellum society. Contributors include academics and Civil War experts from several American universities. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)