History Teaches Us to Hope

"Charles Roland is one of the most eminent historians of our time. . . . These essays go far in explaining why he is held in such high esteem."—James I. Robertson Jr., author of Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The

"Charles Roland stands at the forefront of southern and Civil War historians. For more than a half century he has enlightened and rewarded both historians and the general public with his winning prose and spirited interpretations. This volume is fitting recognition of his accomplishments. Its essays underscore the range of Roland's interests from Louisiana sugar planters, to Civil War generalship, to the twentieth-century South. Including human, at times humorous, autobiographical pieces was a marvelous idea, for they let readers see Charlie Roland the man, not just the historian."—William J. Cooper, Louisiana State University

"History Teaches Us to Hope is essential reading for those who desire a complete understanding of the Civil War and Southern History. It also offers a fascinating portrait of Roland."—Kentucky Monthly

"Read [History Teaches Us to Hope] slowly, aloud even. Surrender to the clarity of the arguments and listen to the surety of language used to make them. You are in the company of a master storyteller. And what better compliment to pay a historian?"—Robert K. Krick, Civil War Times

"Roland, a native of Tennessee, has enlightened both historians and the reading public with his interpretations of the Civil War and the American South. This work is a must for anyone interested in understanding both."—Tennessee Historical Commission

"History Teaches Us to Hope is essential reading for those who desire a complete understanding of the Civil War and Southern history. It also offers a fascinating portrait of Roland."—Kentucky Monthly

"Together, the selections provide a self-portrait of their author. Readers will encounter an esteemed scholar and a delightful person."—J. Y. Simon, Choice

"Roland has long been admired as a leading southern historian, and this book presents a generous sampling of his most engaging work. Highly Recommended."—J. Y. Simon, Choice

"The current volume provides a pleasing review of Roland's more than half century as a historian—pleasing and daunting in its variety and uniform excellence."—Daniel E. Sutherland, Journal of Southern History

"Roland's work has earned a well-deserved reputation for its smooth and accessible prose, something which has helped him reach a wide audience, and a sense of which is conveyed in this collection. This collection will give readers a good sense of why Roland is considered such an evocative writer and speaker and, perhaps most of all, why he seems to believe, as Robert E. Lee said, that history teaches us to hope."—Christopher J. Olsen, Ohio Valley History

"History Teaches Us to Hope: Reflections on the Civil War and Southern History, articulates [Roland's] position clearly, lucidly, and with superior prose."—H-CivWar