This series has become an indispensable collection in American studies. Each volume tackles an important area and is written by an expert within the discipline.

This innovative book explores the cultural origins and enduring legacy of the American Civil War, focusing on its continued influence in contemporary literature, film, music, electronic media, material culture, and public performance. It delves into both familiar and previously unexplored territory to reveal the links between history and contemporary culture. The first chapter discusses ante-bellum culture and the part cultural forces played in the sectional crisis that exploded into full-blown war in 1861. Subsequent chapters focus on particular themes and interpretations as they have appeared in American culture, particularly Confederate revivalism; cultural uses of martyrdom; the centrality of race; the War's destabilization of gender norms; and the War's place in virtual and transnational culture.