This searing account thoroughly details the 160-year propaganda campaign to promote the South’s version of the Civil War. Known as the Lost Cause, it’s based on two untruths: that the South did not lose the war, and that the war was not fought over slavery. Bausum’s well-researched, rock-solid argument is accompanied by a visual inventory of Civil War monuments, many of which are still standing. Robert E. Lee is venerated by many for his Civil War leadership, but his defection of the U.S. Army to lead the Confederates was an act of treason. Thanks to government deal-making and efforts to reunite the country, he was ultimately not prosecuted. In time, however, groups committed to defending the Lost Cause championed for a positive and patriotic view of Lee along with numerous buildings, statues, and scholarships in his honor. The author meticulously curates the wide-spread, insidious, and unrelenting efforts to deny losing the war and preserve White superiority. Evidence of propaganda in plantations, modern textbooks, flags, holidays, laws protecting statues, and White supremacist activities, as well as in broader issues like racial disparity, critical race theory, and book challenges, is presented. Humanizing this cold catalogue, the author recounts her childhood in Virginia and what she understood as truth before living outside of the South. For meaningful context, Bauman discusses cultural deprogramming efforts in post-WWII Germany. Highly discussable, this is a timely tome for dedicated young historians.

This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War, perfect for fans of STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING and JUST MERCY.

Warning: This is not your average U.S. history book.

After the Civil War, the Confederates may have laid down their arms, but they were far from accepting defeat. By warping the narrative around what really happened during and after the Civil War, they created an alternate history now known as the Lost Cause. These lies still manifest today through criticism of Critical Race Theory, book banning, unequal funding for education, and more.

This book sets the record straight and explains the true history of the Civil War, and its complex and far-reaching aftermath. Written by historian and award-winning author Ann Bausum, WHITE LIES is an impeccably researched chronicle filled with photos, robust back matter, additional resources, and more that fans of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States will enjoy.