The South Was Right!

Rating:
Summary: Finally we are told what really happened!
Review: "The South Was Right!" is an essential book for all Americans to read, especially Southerners! About half of the book is devoted to telling us what really happened in the War for Southern Independence. Each incident discussed is backed by facts including letters written by soldiers, official United States government reports, and interviews of people involved conducted in the early 20th century. This book dispells the Northern myth that the Union came down to save the slaves from the "evil" Southerners. It also shows that Abraham Lincoln was not so honest; in fact, he was an early Hitler or Huessein. This book is not just for Southerners. It should be read by Northerners too, so that they can realize that the history they have learned is a lie! Please read this book, weigh the evidence, and judge for yourself!

Rating:
Summary: A coffee table book......if you live in a trailer park.
Review: "The South was Right" is pure propaganda through and through. Which is fine as there have been numerous books about the Civil War written from VERY slanted northern points of view. However, just because this book happens to take the unique angle of presenting a VERY slanted southern bias, that doesn't make the book relevant history or "the truth" as some reviewers desperately would like to believe. These authors obviously have big chips on their shoulders. They seem to have no problem making blanket statements about "Yankees" while at the same time whining about the terrible stereotypes that southerners are allegedly subjected to.

There is documentation in this book. However using SELECTIVE documentation is little better than using no documentation at all. If your beginning goal is to set out and write a biased and slanted book, anyone can be selective in their "research" and hand pick which sources they will use to suit their narrow ideology and ignore all others. Everyday in the Arab world, Al-Jazeera broadcasts their very slanted and anti-american ideology. They too have documented sources, but like the authors of this book, they make sure they broadcast information from ONLY the sources that will re-affirm their views...making sure they ignore all others. To this day there are Japanese who believe the Pearl Harbor attack was justified, Germans who believe the Nazis were justified, Arabs who believe 9-11 was justified, people who believe Timothy McVeigh was a hero, and people who believe that "The South was Right!". In this book the authors make sure they point out every flaw with the north while giving the south a complete pass and making laughably lame excuses for the Confederacy's greed and arrogance. At one point, they completely downplay the brutality inflicted against slaves (incidentally I admire the authors' chutzpah) and then point out (apparently as justification) that the northern factories employed people at slave wages. Although paying low wages is wrong, anyone with an IQ above ten should clearly be able to see the difference between someone being paid low wages and the BUYING, SELLING and OWNING of human beings and paying them ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for work they DID NOT VOLUNTARILY WANT TO DO.

Feel free to enjoy this book if that's your taste. But to those who embrace it, unless you're unbelievably stupid, deep down I'm sure you're aware that you are simply embracing propaganda that suits your views while at the same time crying out against EVERYONE ELSE'S propaganda. And after all the northern slanted history, you may feel justified to do this (revenge is sweet isn't it). We all have versions of history and the truth. And anyone who doesn't believe OUR VERSION we accuse as being sooo "brainwashed" or "having our opinions dictated to us". I myself prefer to read balanced history. Shelby Foote for example, who is a southerner and is much more rational and less fanatical in his writings. He points out many of the hypocracies of the north, but does not BLIND himself to the southern hypocracies.

Finally, I can easily defend the north by making ridiculous comments about how some southern states rank dead last in adult literacy. That many southern states had to be forced at gunpoint just to simply allow black children to go to school with white children. That an ex-Klan member almost won a Senate seat in Louisiana before being ELECTED to the state legislature. And then I can continue by making blanket statements about southern inbreeding. However all of that would be ignorant. We are all one country now. And anyone who participates in any form of GEOGRAPHIC PREJUDICE....NO MATTER WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY THEY ARE FROM are themselves the ones who are more than likely victims of inbreeding and more than likely live in trailer parks (hence my title comment). Unfortunately, in my opinion, that's the crowd that "The South was Right!" authors seem to want to reach out to.

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Summary: The book is a sappy idealization of the South.
Review: Admittedly, there is some merit to the constitutional argument. However, even if Lincoln and the North had acquiesced to the South's secession demands, the two rump states, Union and Confederacy, would almost certainly have gone to war later because of the westward expansion of both sections. Second, the constitutional argument is overshadowed by the syrupy idealization of Southern culture. The Southern states routinely denied voting rights to black people until the early 1960s. This practice wasn't Yankee propaganda, but a recent historical fact. How did the supposedly so noble Southern way of life eventually give rise to such a practice? I realize that this question is outside the authors' area of interest, but it I think that is appropriate to look for the roots of twentieth-century Southern behavior in the pre-Civil War South. Another aspect of nineteenth-century Southern culture that the authors conveniently gloss over is the economic bondage in which many of the region's white citizens lived. The Southern white elites were very adept at playing off working-class whites and blacks against each other. This glorious Southern custom tends to make me doubt the nobility of these Southern "gentlemen." Finally, I ALMOST agree with the authors that the South should have been allowed to secede, although my reasons are different than those of the Kennedy's. Had the South been allowed to go its own way, an immoral system, slavery, would have continued indefinitely, but the North would have been spared carrying the Southern albatross around its neck. In case anyone is wondering, I am a fourth-generation Coloradoan, meaning that I am neither a Northerner nor a Southerner.

Rating:
Summary: The Low Tide of the Confederacy
Review: Because of the right to freedom of speech in this country (something the South denied to it's slave population), we have to endure pseudo-historical tomes like this. My great great grandfather fought honorably in the Confederate army, and I had other relatives on both sides of the line. I reside in Tennessee, but was born in Montana. Hardly a "Yankee". My convictions regarding the war come from reading histories written by men from both regions of the country (remember Shelby Foote?), and it is apparent that the South threw themselves into a conflict based on their own racial and social misconceptions which propped up both their economy and their culture. To write a book like this as a justification for a war that cost thousands of lives, and untold loss of property is an insult to the dead on both sides. To brand Northerners as bigoted, exploitive haters of everything below the Mason Dixon line shows that the authors have some deep seated problems of their own to work out. After they apologise for reinforcing the unjust stereotypes of Southerners with this hare brained, twisted version of history.

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Summary: Finally, vendication to the continuing Northern Aggression!
Review: I am thrilled to know this book is still available for more people to become enlightened. I only wish it was better advertised and its reading more encouraged.

Too few people understand that the victor of a war creates the history text. This book dispells the lies, or propaganda for the politically correct zealots, pounded into our heads by the oppressor. The Kennedys have done an excellent job of documenting their statements. I found some statements unbelievable because of years of brainwashing by the public schools. After requesting copies of cited sources I was overwhelmed and wanted to scream the truth to the world. The sad part is the world hears what it wants to...not always the truth.

Southerners, read this and hold your head high. Yankees, read it and follow up with some serious introspection. Descendents of former slaves (like myself and anyone else from the south), read it and learn the truth of Lincoln, "the long-legged liar", and the north's propaganda campaign for support. Learn how the yankees truely felt about blacks in society.

I cannot praise these men enough. They put forth tremendous effort, energy and time in this wonderful book for which many will dismiss them (and others who adore the book) as unintelligent or wasting their time on a lost cause. I applaude them for their sacrifices while attempting to enlighten the public.

Rating:
Summary: Indisputable facts, poorly written
Review: I have enjoyed reading the typical knee-jerk "reviews" written by those who hate the South via this book. I wonder if any of them have read it. Nah, that's not possible, else they wouldn't be so stupid as to make the same tired propagandist's arguments that the book disproves. (Would they? Please tell me that they wouldn't; please lie to me and tell me that they aren't all Jerry Springer alumni.)

Anyway, the facts are well-documented by original sources materials from the North. By contrast, the "history" that we were all taught in school is based upon secondary and even tertiary sources. It is a classic case of being based upon books about books about books . . . about books about something.

This book is invaluable for its sources alone. However, it becomes difficult to read. It does not seem to be able to decide between becoming a dry, dusty tome of the sort that gives academia its stuffy reputation and the outrage of two men whom have suffered prejudice at the hands of their "betters" all of their lives.

I well understand this bottled frustration. I was born and raised in the South, lived in the North, and have returned (Thank God!). Despite popular convictions that continue to be held quite seriously by the vast majorities of those north and west of the Mason-Dixon line; we do indeed have shoes, and wear them; we do in fact enjoy the benefits of running water and indoor plumbing; we do not as a rule engage in sexual activities with relatives (although recently I have met an ALARMING number of Northern young people on Yahoo who claim that incest is widespread in their world); and growing up quite literally in otherwise black community, I did not learn what racism is really like until I moved to a suburb of Chicago, that any person of ANY color or ancestry is truly jeopardizing their life in any large city simply by being in the wrong place wherein one is not one of "theirs"; and The Dukes of Hazzard was neither a documentary nor even adequate television; speaking of which you may be amazed to learn that most of us avoid TNN like the plague - sorry folks that is feel-good-TV for cultural bigots in other parts of the country. And by the way, where is he only place that the Ku Klux Klan survives in any appreciable form? Indiana and Ohio, of course.

Anyway, back to the book. The facts are indisputable (doubtless the reason so few "reviewers" even try), the sources impeccable and the writing acceptable for a first draft. It is needlessly offensive to poor little northern sensibilities (see what I mean, did you like that little bit of condescension). I understand full well that we as a culture and perpetual favorite whipping boy are treated to a daily diet of far worse; however one cannot expect to show masses of people how wrong they are by employing an irritating attitude. If history teaches anything it is that nothing in this world is so universally hated as any form of Truth. Why make matters worse by causing offense needlessly. Unfortunately, the authors treat those who subscribe to Federal "history" only a few orders of magnitude better than they treat us.

Read this book or admit that you are too much a coward to admit that you might have been wrong. Or, did you really know it was wrong all along and deliberately choose to pretend otherwise?

Rating:
Summary: Indisputable facts, poorly written
Review: I have enjoyed reading the typical knee-jerk "reviews" written by those who hate the South via this book. I wonder if any of them have read it. Nah, that's not possible, else they wouldn't be so stupid as to make the same tired propagandist's arguments that the book disproves. (Would they? Please tell me that they wouldn't; please lie to me and tell me that they aren't all Jerry Springer alumni.)

Anyway, the facts are well-documented by original sources materials from the North. By contrast, the "history" that we were all taught in school is based upon secondary and even tertiary sources. It is a classic case of being based upon books about books about books . . . about books about something.

This book is invaluable for its sources alone. However, it becomes difficult to read. It does not seem to be able to decide between becoming a dry, dusty tome of the sort that gives academia its stuffy reputation and the outrage of two men whom have suffered prejudice at the hands of their "betters" all of their lives.

I well understand this bottled frustration. I was born and raised in the South, lived in the North, and have returned (Thank God!). Despite popular convictions that continue to be held quite seriously by the vast majorities of those north and west of the Mason-Dixon line; we do indeed have shoes, and wear them; we do in fact enjoy the benefits of running water and indoor plumbing; we do not as a rule engage in sexual activities with relatives (although recently I have met an ALARMING number of Northern young people on Yahoo who claim that incest is widespread in their world); and growing up quite literally in otherwise black community, I did not learn what racism is really like until I moved to a suburb of Chicago, that any person of ANY color or ancestry is truly jeopardizing their life in any large city simply by being in the wrong place wherein one is not one of "theirs"; and The Dukes of Hazzard was neither a documentary nor even adequate television; speaking of which you may be amazed to learn that most of us avoid TNN like the plague - sorry folks that is feel-good-TV for cultural bigots in other parts of the country. And by the way, where is he only place that the Ku Klux Klan survives in any appreciable form? Indiana and Ohio, of course.

Anyway, back to the book. The facts are indisputable (doubtless the reason so few "reviewers" even try), the sources impeccable and the writing acceptable for a first draft. It is needlessly offensive to poor little northern sensibilities (see what I mean, did you like that little bit of condescension). I understand full well that we as a culture and perpetual favorite whipping boy are treated to a daily diet of far worse; however one cannot expect to show masses of people how wrong they are by employing an irritating attitude. If history teaches anything it is that nothing in this world is so universally hated as any form of Truth. Why make matters worse by causing offense needlessly. Unfortunately, the authors treat those who subscribe to Federal "history" only a few orders of magnitude better than they treat us.

Read this book or admit that you are too much a coward to admit that you might have been wrong. Or, did you really know it was wrong all along and deliberately choose to pretend otherwise?

Rating:
Summary: Revisionist History - Where It's Needed
Review: I have read a couple of revisionist books written to cash in on current events (Melkin's piece on internment and France our Oldest Enemey. This book is excellent, it shares a contravercial title, there any similarity ends.

To claim this book is one sided neglects the outright bias that is present in most teaching of history within the US. I was educated in England and appalled at the superficial coverage US history receives within the US school system. Coverage is more like a liberal apology than coverage of events.

The book adopts the "following the money approach" to analyzing who profited most from slavery - the case that much of the wealth went to the North is well made. It also points out slavery was not new to Africa, and was practiced by Africans on their own people without outside intervention. The case is also well made that the North, and Lincoln held racist views. The lot of blacks in the Northern states was precarious (e.g. draft riots).

The authors do not make any case in favour of slavery - their consistent line is the practice is vile.

The fact that many blacks served, assisted and provided material support to the war is beyond refute. Native Americans thought with both sides during the civil war - this material does less for the authors case (their choice was more governed by which side would do the most damage).

The book has a few flaws, it does repeat itself. Arguing that conditions for US POWs do not amount to war crimes (it does even if the North had similar low standards - two wrongs dont make a right) and probably worse, forgetting glossing over atrocities of the South. The style is a little journalistic.

Great book that dispels some myths, and brings others into question. Makes the reader realize why most confederate soldiers thought so well. Despite the fact that more than 90% held no slaves.

Rating:
Summary: I'm sure the South WAS right!
Review: I'm German, English is my first foreign language, so please excuse writing or grammar errors. Thank You!!

The Kennedy Brothers have written an exciting and thrilling book which shows once more that the winner takes it all and writes the official history. I discovered their book in a bookstore in Tucson, AZ during a summer holiday trip and ordered it via Internet back home in Germany. All my life I've been interested in history, especially American History. Reading this book and also "Why Not Freedom!" by the same authors, I was stunned to see how often the glorious Battle Flag is not only related to racism but even to the worst ideology and time period in my nation's history: Fascism and National Sozialism.
In Germany, the biggest part of regular school history education is set on the time during 1933-1945, to remind everyone of the terrors and the suffering of all europeans during this period. As a matter of fact, displaying the swastika or other fascist symbols is strictly forbidden and you won't be able to find "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler in any German bookstore. Anyway, I think this is right, because these symbols have only negative meanings and are standing for persecution, terror and hate. So I think it's right to prohibit Neo-Nazis from displaying them.
Something I do not understand is, why the Confederate Battle Flag seems to have the same dreadful meaning like swastika in the eyes of liberals and left-wing-extremists. A flag under which an army fought for independece, states rights and freedom of self-determination cannot be reduced to represent racism and white supremacy. The Cause for which the brave men of the Confederacy fought so long is not a Cause of terror, hate and racism, like the Nazis did. Neither is the Flag a symbol of these.
I've been to the South only once, and I love it just like my own nation. I would be glad to come back to a South where Heritage, States Rights and the displaying of one of the worlds most recognized symbol of freedom, the Battle Flag, are not longer under attack from liberals and left-wing-groups.
The South has a great history (actually so much greater than my own nations terrible history) and I just love everything Southern. I'll come back, y'all!!!

Read the Kennedy brother's book, I can highly recommend it! It just opened my eyes and I hope it will open many more eyes in the future. Deo Vindice!


Rating:
Summary: Unreal!
Review: Plain and simple this is not a book for the typical War of the Rebellion history buff. Can you say "one sided". There is not enough space here to take them to task on their version of the "truth".

Read it if you want a good laugh!