The land of cotton

There will always be more books about the Civil War or the War of Northern Aggression or War Between the States, depending on your viewpoint. Behold this list of Civil War books compiled by Gettysburg College. People even publish books called "50 Must-Read Books About the Civil War."I'm challenged to think of any subject that has 20 let alone 50 must read books. Gettysburg College is kind enough to give us their top 200.

You'd think there would be little new to say about the war, but academics are highly skilled at telling a story where 90% is old news and 10% is new argument. If you have read this far, you might want to take a look at the upcoming Dixie Betrayed. It argues that the government of the Confederacy failed to properly organize for war, and failed at most everything it tried. It's often a good idea to study a losing side in a conflict for lessons of what not to do, but we shouldn't forget what Gen Pickett said when asked why the South lost at Gettysburg "I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."