In this volume, leading Civil War historians gather to differentiate between the fact and the fiction of America's collective memories. Conntributors include Pulitzer Prize winner Mark E. Neely, Jr, Alan T. Nolan, John Y. Simon, James I. "Bud" Robertson, Jr, and Gary W. Gallagher.

Issues raised by the Civil War, including its causes and consequences, reverberate through contemporary society. Family and community connections with the war exist everywhere, as do battlefields, memorials, and other physical reminders of the conflict. Here, leading Civil War scholars gather to sort out the fact and fiction of our collective memories.