| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 88.4

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to JAH online. About 202 words from this article are provided below; about 424 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the Organization of American Historians, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a member of the Organization of American Historians, you can:: • Join the OAH and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the Journal of American History.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two-hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Journal of American History (86.1-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Journal of American History.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 88.4 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History. Ed. by Gary W. Gallagher and Alan T. Nolan. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000. viii, 231 pp. $29.95, ISBN 0-253-33822-0.)

Historians such as Rollin G. Osterweis, Thomas L. Connelly, Charles Reagan Wilson, and Gaines M. Foster have studied the American Civil War's Lost Cause myth in great detail. Given the current public controversy over Confederate symbols, an understanding of it seems more relevant than ever. In this anthology, the editors, Gary W. Gallagher and Alan T. Nolan, bring together nine essays that provide a deeper appreciation of the legacy of the Civil War. They will be most useful to those already well read in the subject, as the introduction provides scant context concerning the history, evolution, or dimensions of the Lost Cause. 1

In the initial essay, "The Anatomy of the Myth," the lawyer Nolan skips over the "origin and development" of the Lost Cause in order "to correct the national memory by refuting the Lost Cause legend and reestablishing the war as history." Nolan approaches Southern history as if presenting an indictment. His self-righteousness and lack of objectivity tend to detract from the many good points he makes. . . .

There are about 424 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.