The South Was Right!

Rating:
Summary: Myopic Cretinous Drivel
Review: This book presents selective half-truths, distortions, faulty reasoning, and wishful thinking as history. For a true scholarly account of the period leading up to the War Between The States, read William W. Freehling's excellent "The Road To Disunion."

Rating:
Summary: A welcome antidote to northern bigotry and ignorance
Review: This volume is a well-researched, well-reasoned account of the War Between the States. It is perfect for all those who desire a scholarly analysis of the conflict from the Southern viewpoint. Likewise, it will undoubtedly challenge and anger those bigots who hate all things Southern! In an era when we are subjected to numerous anti-Southern diatribes (e.g., Horwitz's "Confederates in the Attic"), this is definitely a refreshing work. "The South Was Right!" has unwittingly become one of the textbooks of the fast-growing Southern Nationalist movement -- and deservedly so! I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Right On!
Review: The Kennedy's book is one of a style long overdue. More like the older apologia of the post War for Southern Independence era, 'The South Was Right!' is an 'in your face' frontal attack against so-called 'histories' that have for far too long slandered Southerners. Certainly there are those who do not wish to be confronted with the more accurate accounts of this particular historical era, as it may cause others to question certain 'American' sacred cows, long held due to biased distortions of facts and for years purveyed as 'history'. Although such detractors will give this book low ratings and attempt to dismiss it as 'poorly contrived propaganda', just consider that this book is well researched and abundantly footnoted, and that many of these facts themselves are gleaned from diaries, letters, as well as the OFFICIAL dispatches and reports from those who OPPOSED the Southern Confederacy! It may be propaganda, but as I (a proud Southern Patriot myself) often say -At least we don't have to LIE in our propaganda! John Mark King

Rating:
Summary: This book is poorly-written propaganda
Review: This book is nothing but propaganda. The writing style is generally poor, the view of history is entirely one-sided, and anything that might cast doubt on the authors' strident claims is carefully omitted. "The South Was Right" is the sort of book that will appeal to those who are already die-hard southern chauvinists, because it tells them exactly what they want to hear and nothing that might make them uncomfortable. On the other hand, anyone who is looking for a reasoned, intellectually-honest book about the Civil War era and its aftermath should search elsewhere.

For a MUCH better explanation of American society (north and south) at the time of the Civil War, and for a MUCH more comprehensive story of the war, see James McPherson's excellent "Battle Cry of Freedom". (McPherson's book is the one book I would most strongly recommend to anyone, American or foreigner, who wants to learn about the Civil War era in the US). For an interesting view of different current southern perspectives on the war, see Tony Horwitz's "Confederates in the Attic".

I wouldn't recommend the Kennedys' book at all. Don't waste your money, or your time.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent.
Review: This type of book is all too rare. It is a book that dispels certain popular myths. Too many books that deal with this period in American History are too content to look at this issue of North versus South as a done and dusted issue with the North as the Good Guys and the South as the Bad, and this book deals with and demolishes plenty of widely accepted facts regarding this. The authors quite rightly have a very deep - rooted pride in where they come from, and this shows constantly throughout the book. The research they have undertaken is meticulous, and is very easy to read. Their knowledge of certain aspects of Scottish history, incidentally, would shame a lot of people who actually come from Scotland. This book has to be read.

Rating:
Summary: good reading
Review: This book opened my eyes to many things that I did not realize. It shows the Northern agenda during the war (usually referred to as the Civil War). They do this not by making blind assertions, but by referring to and quoting from the Northern leaders during that time. This is good reading. A must for southerners!

Rating:
Summary: A must have book for all that love history!
Review: I thought this book was a really wonderful book, I loved reading and absorbing the other part of history that is not taught in school.Being from the south, I felt like there is nothing to be ashamed of, although the north has always put us down because of the war between the states(and the whole slavery thing). This book made me feel proud of being from the south,and to the Authors thanks for blowing the whisle on the Liberal Yankees!

Rating:
Summary: "The South Was Right, a partisan Southern view of the War.
Review: As a child growing up in Mississippi, Ron (my twin brother and co-author)and I often heard stories about the so-called Civil War from our older family members and several older school teachers. As we grew and matured we noticed that those old stories and the "facts" we were being taught in school by young teachers or heard in the media did not harmonize. Far from being harmonious, the two views about our family's Confederate heritage were in direct conflict. Thus, early in our lives we determined to study Southern history and determine for ourselves the true history of the South and the War for Southern Independence. As a result of this effort, we wrote our first book "The South Was Right!" Big Governent" and "Was Jefferson Davis Right?"

Our goal in writing "The South Was Right!" was to present to the reader a uniquely Southern view of the War. As we demonstrate in this book, the commonly held view of secession, slavery, and the South, is the victor's view. As he reads this book, we would like the reader to feel as if he is talking with our Great-grandfather Pvt. John W. Kennedy and hear him explain why he fougt for the South in 1861-65.

In the past five years I have had the pleasure of being interviewed on over 800 radio stations and numerous television stations, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and several episodes on ABC's Politically Incorrect program. One question I am constantly faced with is "are you a racist?" If one is looking to any of my books for a justification of his racist philosophy, he is looking in the wrong place. My adult life has been lived promoting equal rights for all Americans, including Southerners of all colors. I have the unique privilege of being disliked by both liberal "political correct" bigots and being disliked by radical right racist! One dislikes me because I defend the South, while the other dislikes me because I insist that the South is a product of many different cultures, including the African-American culture.

Many myths about the South and the War are esposed and the traditional Southern view about those issues are given in this book. This effort of recording and publishing the partisan Southern view of the War makes this book a one-of-a-kind book. Ron and I have thrown down the Gauntlet to Americans in general and Southerners in particular to reevaluate the mythology of the "Civil War" as written and enforced by the victors. As Americans, are we true to the "unalienable" principles of the founding fathers, such as, the right of living in a government by the "consent of the governed" if we deny to the South the very thing that the colonies fought for in 1776? As President Jefferson Davis stated, the South merely treads in the foot septs of their colonial fathers when they seceded from the Union in 1861. It is the view of the authors that Jefferson Davis Was Right and The South Was Right

Rating:
Summary: Cleared up misconceptions
Review: The Kennedy boys did an outstanding job in their book. I have recommended the work to others. In fact, have many looking to purchase this book. As a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and a "Civil War" historian, I found the book to be the basis for future arguments.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for every American!
Review: This book sheds some much needed light on the history of the War Between the States. It's a must read for every American. Confederates will surely love it and die hard Yankees will have a hard time putting this one down.