Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War

by Gary W. Gallagher

Overview

More than 60,000 books have been published on the Civil War. Most Americans, though, get their ideas about the war--why it was fought, what was won, what was lost--not from books but from movies, television, and other popular media. In an engaging and accessible survey, Gary W. Gallagher guides readers through the stories told in recent film and art, showing how these stories have both reflected and influenced the political, social, and racial currents of their times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807886250
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	04/07/2008
Series:	The Steven and Janice Brose Lectures in the Civil War Era
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	935,316
Lexile:	1880L (what's this?)
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Gary W. Gallagher is John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia and author or editor of numerous books, including Lee and His Army in Confederate History and The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Gallagher provides an elegant and penetrating analysis of the ways in which artists and Hollywood film writers have shaped our changing perceptions of the Civil War and its legacy. Readers will be intrigued by his explanations of why the Lost Cause image continues to prevail in one medium while it has disappeared from the other.—James M. McPherson, author of This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War

Editorial Reviews

Gallagher, one of our finest historians of the Civil War, brings an abundance of sharp insights to this thoughtful analysis. By drawing attention to four principal traditions of interpretation in cinema and art, he demonstrates how popular culture both reflects and shapes our understanding of the war's meaning.—American Historical Review



In-depth, analytical, and thought-provoking. . . . An important, must read for students of the Civil War.—Journal of American History



A solidly researched and intriguing exploration of the influence of popular culture on public understanding of the war. Anyone interested in the Civil War and the impact of media on historical understanding will find Gallagher's latest book rewarding on many levels.—Civil War Times



[A] highly entertaining analysis of how the Civil War has been treated in popular culture.—The Boston Globe



Provides insight into how the war is viewed in contemporary American culture. . . . The four interpretive frameworks Gallagher uses for his analysis are instructive for understanding the dominant trends in art and film.—Southern Historian



A short and very readable book that should appeal to anyone with more than a passing interest in the Civil War.—On Point



Highly recommended.—Choice



A highly informative, well-illustrated, and wonderfully entertaining book.—The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society



Innovative in its approach, provocative in its arguments, and fundamentally interesting, but, most significantly . . . will drive further discussion of Civil War memory through popular culture.—West Virginia History



A welcome addition to the burgeoning literature on the Civil War in popular culture, and it makes for a breezy and edifying read for the scholar and layperson alike.—North Carolina Historical Review

From the Publisher