“A comprehensive discussion of the ideas and feelings of supporters of the Confederacy during the Civil War and Reconstruction.”—American Historical Review
“A sophisticated explication of the creation, manifestation, adaptation, and persistence of Confederate nationalism.”—North Carolina Historical Review
“Rubin’s study provides valuable contributions to understanding the creation of the Confederate identity.”—The Courier
“Offers a perceptive treatment of the complex nest of issues Confederates confronted as they faced the prospect of taking loyalty oaths to the Union, both during and after the war.”—Arkansas Historical Quarterly
“A well-conceived book.”—Georgia Historical Quarterly
“Provides a compelling argument concerning the relationship between southern nationalism and the Confederate state. . . . Extensive and focused. . . . A valuable contribution to understanding the nature of Confederate identity. . . . Essential and instructive.”—Southern Historian
“An excellent, well-written book with narrative flair, keen insights, thought-provoking perspectives on Confederate nationalism, identity and memory, and, given the recent squabbles over the Confederate battle flag, timely in its arrival.”—History
“Rubin’s careful delineation of southern nationalism is rich and rewarding. . . . Historians of the South and of American nationalism will learn a great deal from this book.”—Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
“Rubin presents a broad, clearly written and well-documented argument on the formation of postwar Confederate consensus.”—Military History of the West
“A Shattered Nation makes many valuable contributions. . . . [Rubin] pushes readers to see Confederate nationalism as a work still in progress in 1865, and to consider questions of how shared experiences of war and defeat contributed to a distinctive white southern identity long after reunion.”—Civil War History
