Why Confederates fought: family and nation in Civil War Virginia (1st edition.)

This is a study of the experience of Virginia soldiers and their families in the Civil War.

It aims to capture the inner world of the rank-and-file.

Utilising new statistical evidence and first-person narratives, the book explores how Virginia soldiers - even those who were non-slaveholders - adapted their vision of the war's purpose to remain committed Confederates.

The book argues that Virginia soldiers continued to be motivated by the profound emotional connection between military service and the protection of home and family, even as the war dragged on.