Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this ARC! I am constantly trying to find new ways of teaching about our history, and all of the stories involved. This book does a fantastic job of explaining the HOW of Southern culture--from the Civil War to today. The perspectives that it gives help students see what went on behind the scenes (and the history textbooks) to allow this celebration of losers to happen.

White Lies is an incredibly well-written book that makes history and research very accessible to the modern reader, while also not holding the reader's hand to make them more comfortable in the broken history that they (likely) have been taught or lead to believe about the War of Rebellion. As a southerner especially this book taught me a lot, especially as it presented and thoroughly dismantled each lost cause lie that the south built up after their thorough defeat. This book also serves to connect the lies of the not-so-distant past with the fight for civil rights in the 60s and the continued oppression of black people to this day in America, and ends on a call to action and a place of hope for the future.

This is a much needed real life history book that while written for young adults, should be read by all adults in the United States. I liked how Ann worked in sections about historical monuments dedicated to problematic historical figures. Will be adopting this for my classroom as well as sharing with fellow educators

This important work combines recent scholarship in an easily accessible format by addressing individual lies specifically. The inclusion of the recent updates to Confederate monuments, including who constructed them, at what cost, and where they are now, was a fascinating collection. This should be required reading for high school history classes, but I fear that it may languish in obscurity based on recent education "standards."

This is the perfect book for any history buff, or really, any American citizen. So many of the lies exposed within this book were lies I had learned and believed during my school years. So much of the way the U.S. is today can be explained and understood by the actions taken to keep the Lost Cause narrative at the forefront. This book makes me think of Lies My Teacher Told Me or Stamped, both of which also lay bare the lies we're taught and incorrectly believe about American history. Not only is this an informative stand-alone read, but I could also see excerpts being used in classrooms where American history is taught.

White Lies is what adolescent readers need: an exploration of the impact of the Civil War and all that follows from it. Bausum traces the story of the war and its aftermath of the "Lost Cause." It does a good job of explaining a complicated (and controversial) topic. I think a lot of histories aimed at young people steer away from it, thinking that the history behind the fallout from the war to be too much to handle. Bausum puts history in its place by exploring a series of "lies" about the Civil War and Reconstruction, and then continuing legacy.

I really appreciated the small vignettes throughout the book, looking at the memorials of various figures. I think it really made ideas concrete (no pun intended).

My only suggestion would be to have a larger section that explains some context to the civil war. While this a lot of attention given to slavery, I think the book would be well served by including some key points about the course of the war.

Even if students are not reading this, I think it gives an honest look at the time period, therefore great for anyone who wants a good readable overview of the events.

A fascinating inspection of the whitewashed Civil War history that many of us (*especially* in the South) are taught in school. How can one historical event seemingly have so many differences in the way it's remembered and taught? (Spoiler alert: white supremacy and racism.) How does this impact our greater view of our history and ourselves? So many important questions are discussed by Bausum in 'White Lies,' and it's a must-read for anyone wanting to delve into the harder truths of American history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a welcome addition to the whitewashed history of the Civil War. As a person raised in the North and went to college in the South, I can say there is a vast difference in how the war is taught. Hopefully this book will be read by all.