Episode 14 features Philip Leigh, author of numerous books, including “Southern Reconstruction,” “Lee’s Lost Dispatch and Other Civil War Controversies,” “Trading with the Enemy: The Covert Economy During the American Civil War,” “The Confederacy at Flood Tide: The Political and Military Ascension, June to December 1862,” “The Devil’s Town: Hot Springs During the Gangster Era,” and his newest work “U.S. Grant’s Failed Presidency.” You can read his blog posts at his website Civil War Chat, as well as his essays published at the Abbeville Institute.
Leigh contributed 24 articles to The New York Times Disunion blog, which commemorated the Civil War Sesquicentennial. The prolific writer also lectures at various War Between the States forums and roundtables, and will be speaking at Abbeville’s upcoming fall conference entitled “Who Owns America?” A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Leigh holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology and an MBA from Northwestern University.
The independent historian and I talk about no sympathy for national battlefield guides, Washington and Lee University’s push to purge Lee and the gentleman ethic, name changes of military bases (and birds!), the spinelessness of the GOP, how compelling Southern fiction could be an untapped strategy of unReconstructed resistance, and that A.P. Hill might just be a good hill to die on (figuratively, of course). Here’s to happy listening and staking our Southern claim.
Comments
Phil Leigh is such a treasure. He has fought the good fight for the South. Great interview.
Thanks! Indeed, Phil has been at this for much longer than I, so it was it an honor to interview this unReconstructed stalwart. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Excellent! Phil is one of my favorite people. He has my undying respect.
I’ve missed you, dear. So happy you liked the interview. Hope to hear from you again soon and I pray you are well. Stay sassy!!
Always sassy! LOL
I’ve missed you, too. I have made it back onto fbook under El McWhorter.
Thank you for all you do. These interviews are awesome.
I so enjoyed meeting both of you at the Abbeville conference last week and listening to this was a real pleasure! Such important points. Will tell others about this blog. Turns out my husband has been listening to Dissident Mama for quite a while and was disappointed that he did not realize you were at the meeting….next time!
It was nice meeting you, too, Angela. Glad you enjoyed the interview with Phil. He’s one smart cookie! Thanks for spreading the word on the blog and podcast, and pleased that DM is hubby-approved. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on other content. 🙂
Philip Leigh is like the modern day William Dunning – offers a sleek, modern criticism of Reconstruction that completely strips the BS that modern historians have attached with the “noble” Republican Party. Goes right into the issue and realizes that -surprise, surprise- Ulysses S. Grant was a corrupt asshole who was surrounded with crooks and scoundrels who were motivated by money. Also goes and talks about how the “Party of Lincoln” was also filled with hypocritical racists who only primarily used the black vote to monopolize power and establish more carpetbag governments in the South.
Really offers a good connection to today’s Democrat Party – both the 19th century Republicans and 21st century Democrats are often thought to be selfless angels, but the phrase “follow the money” is a great way to completely demolish that narrative.