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This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War for teen readers, perfect for fans of Stamped, Just Mercy, and Accountable.
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 Young People's History of the United States will enjoy.
"The clear, direct prose shuns euphemisms, explicitly naming obfuscating language, and addresses atrocities without lingering on grisly details. The dispassionate tone results in an authoritative voice, supported by extensive research, that avoids sensationalism...Essential reading." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A...powerful offering that encourages readers to critically engage with historical record and to use the knowledge they obtain to better the world." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Meticulously researched, this is a must-have in the history classroom and beyond." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"An important and compelling work that belongs in all high school and public libraries." —School Library Journal (starred review)
"An essential volume to understand the history of racial division in the U.S." —Booklist (starred review)
Rated 
of 5
by
Anthony_Conty
You May Not Agree, But You Must Read.
In a country where we tear down Confederate statues and also whitewash any history that reflects poorly on the United States of America, politics confuse me. Ann Bausum has no such problem. “White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History” will tick people off who have learned to believe a certain version of historic events.
They say that you are doomed to repeat mistakes if you do not study them, and this theory that a repeated lie becomes a truth really hit home with me. Generations of people looked upon Confederates as heroes, which makes the re-teaching of the past more problematic, as films like “A Birth of a Nation” and monuments to Southern heroes prove.
Bausum has some tricks up her sleeve to make her novel different, following the lies of the Confederacy to the days of World War I and movies like “Birth of a Nation.” Since the beloved “Gone with the Wind” has endured cancellation on all sides, I enjoyed the author’s perspective on how that great work remains problematic.
The book examines history vs. propaganda, and many have chosen the version of the story that suits their political needs. Even those who supported the North had to rely on their own prejudices. The heritage vs. history debate drives the narrative, and most will not agree with all of the author’s assertions. The past is messy, complicated, and full of grey areas.
I always recommend books with caveats, and if you are firm in your opinion that we should celebrate Confederate heritage in public forums, you probably will disagree with this motif; that said, the anti-cancel culture crowd tends to deny that a large chunk of people feel this way and only notice the naysayers that support their stance. Bausum doesn’t care.
Ann Bausum writes history for readers of all ages. Her books for young people help upper elementary, middle school, and high school students discover the drama and significance of stories from the past that may barely be presented in textbooks. In 2015 her adopted home state named her the year's Notable Wisconsin Children's Author. Two years later, the body of her work received national recognition with the Nonfiction Award of the Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C.
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