“I had supposed it wasn’t possible these days to talk reasonably, as well as informatively, about our great national cataclysm, the Civil War. H. W. Crocker III brings off that extraordinary feat with style, verve, and wit. Give that gentleman a medal for gallantry and public service.”

“You can’t understand America until you understand the War of Northern Aggression, and Mr. Crocker tells the story in such a delightful, politically incorrect way that you can’t wait to get to the end of his book to see whether Marse Robert actually pulls out a stunning upset. Great scholarship, great storytelling, and great fun.”

“In short order, Harry Crocker has lifted the modern veil of misinformation surrounding the major actors in the War. In the process, he has rescued the character of Robert E. Lee and shown Union heroes such as Grant, Sherman, and Lincoln to be more human, complex, and in some cases loathsome than contemporary history texts suggest. The South becomes more admirable and the North more contemptible. Here is the War, warts and all, for everyone to see.”

“The only way this idiosyncratic take on the wa-wuh could be any better is if we’d won. Even Harry Crocker couldn’t do that, but he has written a witty book full of history and insight. If I’d ever gotten around to joining the United Daughters of the Confederacy, I bet my chapter would thank him. Yankees will enjoy it, too.”

“[A] rare but admirable thing—a book written from a Tory, imperialist, Southern gentleman’s perspective. Winston Churchill and Andrew Jackson would both be proud. A rousing read through the rattling good tales of American history.”