Reflections on the American Civil War with Gary Gallagher (part II)


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Picking up where we left off in Part I earlier this week…Gary and I hash through some of the salient Civil War themes found in his latest book, The Enduring Civil War: Reflections on the Great American Crisis. We discuss in this episode:

  • Historiography

  • Where to start with the literature for those looking to get a handle on a single volume comprehensive history

  • Some gaps - and perhaps some ideas for grad students to jump in and fill them

  • Using first-hand accounts to understand the experience of war

  • Counterfactual history/theory…the “what ifs.“ Fun at parties but not particularly useful

  • Social media

  • How the National Park Service has done a tremendous amount of work to enhance the visitation experience

  • Questions from Twitter! Historians Jonathan Jones and Emily Senefeld pose questions - this is a new feature of the show that I may return to from time to time.

Have a listen…

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book…so we can continue the conversation on the usual social suspects and here in the comments. AND…don’t forget to subscribe to The Rogue Historian Podcast and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or your favorite app so you never ever ever ever miss a show. That would be dumb.

With compliments,

Keith

And by the way…this selected reading list of Gary’s books should keep you busy. These are some of my favorites.

The Confederate War

The Union War

The American War (co-authored with Joan Waugh)

Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten

Fighting for the Confederacy

Lee and His Generals in War and Memory

The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History (co-edited with Alan T. Nolan)