This is Grady McWhiney at his finest. Confederate
Crackers and Cavaliers is a collection of seventeen
essays on a wide variety of topics relating to Confederate
leadership and war-making.
The role of culture in the coming of the war is explored
in depth as are the differences between Southern "Crackers"
and "Cavaliers." Battlefield leadership is also discussed,
including pieces on A. P. Hill, P. G. T. Beauregard, Braxton
Bragg, and Leonidas Polk.
Other important essays include work on why the South fired
the first shot of the war, how 1862 was actually the "doom
year" of the Confederacy, and a treatment of the tactical
revolution that occurred between the beginning of the Mexican
War and the end of the Civil War. There are more than a few
surprises. One chapter, entitled "Sex and Chivalry,"
investigates the role of West Point in shaping the deportment
of America's class of military gentlemen.
Jefferson Davis, though, looms largest in this book. From his
days along the banks of the Hudson, to his service in Mexico,
to an analysis of his war leadership as president of the
Confederacy, McWhiney investigates this tarnished American
hero whom, the author claims, has been almost as vilified by
Americans as Adolf Hitler.
McWhiney is known for his unconventional stances. While his work
is sometimes controversial, often hotly debated, and nearly always
provocative, it can never be ignored. After a long sabbatical from
publishing, this astonishing author and historian is back at work.
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GRADY McWHINEY needs no introduction to readers of Civil War
history. A distinguished writer, historian, teacher, and philanthropist,
his career has spanned more than fifty years. His many publications
include the highly regarded (and debated) Cracker Culture: Celtic
Ways in the Old South, Attack and Die: Civil War Military Tactics and
the Southern Heritage, and Battle in the Wilderness: Grant Meets
Lee (McWhiney Foundation Press). He is in great demand as a
scholar, speaker, and authority on Southern and Civil War history.
McWhiney is also the founder of the Grady McWhiney Research
Foundation, headquartered at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas,
where he currently resides.
What people are saying about this book
"The name Grady McWhiney will immediately register with most
students of the Civil War. . . . and this collection of some of his
essays stands as a monument to the man and his contribution to
Civil War knowledge."—The Civil War Courier
"McWhiney at his best. . . . every serious student of the antebellum
South and Civil War owes a great debt to McWhiney for his insights
and ability to tell his stories in vivid detail and engaging prose. This
splendid book should appeal to a wide range of scholars who study
the South."—Journal of Southern History
Other Books by Grady McWhiney
Winner of the 2003 Fletcher Pratt Prize given by The Civil War Round Table of New York
