They Should Have Been Hanged: War Nerd Essays on the U.S. Civil War

They Should Have Been Hanged is a collection of essays presenting a stimulating revisionist view of the U.S. Civil War. Gary Brecher aka John Dolan rejects both the Lost Cause myth and insipid mainstream histories. Instead, he relies on the testimony of contemporary figures like Mary Chesnut, Mark Twain, John A. Logan, and Adam Gurowski to show the American Civil War had its share of treachery, criminality, and error.

Referring to primary sources (letters, diaries, speeches) and secondary t...