My Top 30 Southern Nationalist Reading List for 2023

I am a nationalist. Until the day I die, I will always believe in the absolute right of unique peoples to establish themselves and enjoy the freedom of personal conscience to determine their own fate. As such, every day I dedicate myself to the cause of Southern Nationalism. This requires work and guidance. This also requires an understanding of the people whom you – the nationalist – seeks to serve. As contributors to a movement bigger than ourselves, we must find ourselves committed to continually perfecting and working toward a better message.

Often, in the study of nationalist movements, the issue is not finding the sentiment itself. It is convincing the people that they are worthy of independence from destructive and demeaning tethers. That takes work – something most people are incapable of doing. There must be an unrelenting commitment to your people. If you believe that your people deserve to be free, then you must be willing to work. Part of that work involves study. You do not elevate your people without elevating your mind.

The South is comprised of a unique people. It is not the “melting pot” that defines the North or the rest of these United States. The tragic post-war humiliation and impoverishment imposed on the South made migration to Dixie far less likely than other areas of the post-war era of the late-19^th century. The lack of genetic invasion established a predominantly Anglo-Celtic nation within the territorial confines of the Union. In addition to this lack of migration, the South never embraced diversity for its own sake. Rather, Southerners further inculcated themselves by creating a parallel system of laws and societal norms between White and black.

This silo society enabled Southerners to reinforce their own cultural concepts and perspectives. Everything from the importance of Christianity to regional vernacular to cuisine to historical narratives and mythology were empowered to form the nexus of a unique ethnic identity: Southerners as a people. The more Southerners suffered, the more they turned toward themselves.

Understanding who Southerners “are” and what Dixie “is” must be at the epicenter of any campaign to inspire secession. Not all Southerners are the same, but there are broad characteristics that transcend the Mississippi River, the Appalachian Mountains, the Okefenokee Swamp, and the Tidewater Basin. This confluence of people share a unique history. That history, however, is not solely established within the War Between the States nor Reconstruction – as critical as those historical impacts may be. The Southern identity was germinating at the earliest foundation of the American colonies and the South itself, beginning with Jamestown settlement in 1607.

Consequently, the list I composed does not always focus on the mid-19^th century. It focuses on other important elements, as well. I include the subject of Bacon’s Rebellion as an early harbinger of a unique form of Southern exceptionalism as it pertains to the need for responsive government and the right to revolt when that government violates the social compact. In addition, I include the written works of James Madison and John C. Calhoun, two men who capture the philosophical underpinnings of a young, vibrant, and different South. Finally, the reader of this list will notice a tragic deficiency: Southern perspectives on post-World War II desegregation. I was unable to find any easily accessible books that covered the subject substantively without extreme, anti-Southern bias. Perhaps this is a topic for a future book of my own.

As such, here is my reading list for dedicated Southern Nationalists in 2023. With the exception of Number One, the Bible, there is no specific order as to these great books that provide insight into a unique people. I am sure it can be bigger, and some great books may be missing from this list. There is always 2024 and I will happily take suggestions.

In the meantime, the South deserves to preserve her beautiful history, traditions, and culture. She deserves her freedom. These books should give you a glimpse as to “why.”

Deo Vindice!

1. The Bible, God: The South is uniquely created and endowed by God to be the last place on earth for Christians to establish a physical presence on this earth. Of this, I have no doubt. Southerners are a Godly and Christian people. You cannot serve the South unless you understand the core of a faith that defines their cultural and spiritual outlook.
2. A Defense of Virginia and the South, Robert Lewis Dabney: this essential work is not a simple apology for the antebellum South. It is a full-throated defense of the South in a way that only a Presbyterian Reverend could produce in a linearly logical way that brings the reader into the emotional and mental reality of 19^th Century Christian and Southern society.
3. Cracker Culture: Celtic Ways in the Old South, Grady McWhiney: the Celtic identity of the South is critical to understanding the modern Southerner. If the South is a uniquely Anglo-Celtic ethnicity, this book explains half of that identity.
4. Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways In America, David Hackett Fischer: the other half of the Anglo-Celtic identity is explored by Fischer in a way that explains the deep differences between Yankee Anglo identity and the South’s Cavalier culture, especially that which is found in Virginia.
5. The Heritage of the South, Lt General Jubal A. Early: the original “unreconstructed” Southerner, this book is not only crucial toward understanding the impact of the war on Virginia, but also the unique cultural paradigm from within which Virginians viewed themselves in the lead to the war and after.
6. The Fire-Eaters, Eric Walther: if you produce Southern Nationalist content in the 21^st Century, you are the inheritors of a legacy that predates you. You should know “The Fire Eaters,” that which they wrote, and why.
7. Defending Dixie: Essays in Southern History and Culture, Clyde N. Wilson: Dr. Wilson remains the modern lion of the pro-Southern written word. Everyone at Identity Dixie agrees that he is an inspiration to us all. This book is best described as an amalgamation of critical thoughts on the South at times that really must be read through the lens of both the times within which Dr. Wilson wrote his thoughts and that which we see happening in real time today.
8. The South During Reconstruction, E. Merton Coulter: book eight of a ten volume set entitled History of the South, this volume is important toward understanding that which I believe is the second most important era in defining the South’s unique culture.
9. The South Was Right, James & Walter Kennedy: this is an important book written by the Kennedy brothers, despite its often-awkward attempts to shovel multicultural perspectives into a defense of the Confederacy. There are better academic books out there, but the information made available by the Kennedy brothers is invaluable.
10. A Southern View of the Invasion of the Southern States and the War of 1861 – 1865, Samuel A’Court Ashe: written by a Confederate Captain and North Carolina Legislator, this book explains the real reasons for secession from the perspective of someone who lived through the decision-making process as a young man. Like many books on the subject, it was written in the 1930s, before revisionist historians have destroyed the historical records of the era.
11. Facts the Historians Leave Out: A Confederate Primer, John Tilley: originally published in 1951, this book is written by the grandson of a Confederate officer educated in New England (Harvard). It is critical because it is written during a time when the South experiences its first post-World War II assault on its character and culture as a new American Empire emerges.
12. A Land Remembered, Patrick D. Smith: this is an historical fiction novel that covers the story of the hardship and struggles of the MacIveys – original Cracka’ settlers of Florida – their rise to prominence and eventual end in the 1960s, as Florida changes around them. It is important for a number of reasons, including realistic glimpses into Florida during the War Between the States, the relationship of Florida Crackas and blacks, the blending of Spanish and Anglo-Celtic culture on the Florida-Georgia line, and early attitudes to post-Castro Cuban migration.
13. The South in the Building of the Nation (13 Volumes): a comprehensive set of information, published originally in 1909. This was added mostly because my wife is seeking Christmas ideas and a man can dream. Of course, information that is pro-Southern continues to become increasingly difficult and we should endeavor to save these volumes while they are still available.
14. The Grey Book: Blueprint for Southern Independence, League of the South/Dr. J. Michael Hill: this small but important book captures the ideas of the original League of the South, as it was envisioned by more than two dozen esteemed Southern scholars and gentlemen. Led by Dr. Hill, there is no question as to the importance of the League of the South as it pertains to an appreciation for a Free and Independent Dixie.
15. Southern Reconstruction, Philip Leigh: this book covers the variety of acts and actions of the federal government during Reconstruction that not only laid the foundation of the South’s tragic post-war condition, but it does not shy away from the impact upon black Southerners, as well.
16. A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’ Great Discovery to America’s Age of Entitlement, Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen: this book is full of Yankee apologetics as it pertains to the war and its aftermath. For that reason, I struggled to add this to the list. However, it gives a very thorough and better balanced understanding as to that which occurred in the South from Jamestown to the minutes before the war. In this regard, it is a great reference tool.
17. Authentic History of the Ku Klux Klan, Susan Lawrence Davis: this book is important for so many reasons, not least of which is an understanding of the Klan as an early insurgency group that was formed to fight the deplorable depredations suffered by Southerners at the hands of an occupying Yankee army. Davis is the daughter of an early founder of the Klan and her access and insight is invaluable.
18. Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville: any student of American history writ large should read Tocqueville. He is not kind to the South. However, contrary to the perspectives of many, I do not believe he is kind to the militant egalitarian Yankee Puritan elites, either. In fact, Tocqueville’s observations on Yankee society provide an outstanding warning to Southerners regarding the former’s drive to dominate North America at the expense of genteel Southern society. Tocqueville is often harsh with his disdain for Southerners with whom he interacts, but he also makes distinctions of elite Southern society in the early 19^th Century.
19. Writings of James Madison, President James Madison: there are several versions of the writings of President James Madison, the primary author of the Bill of Rights. It is my opinion that this period of time is the most important to the development and understanding of the South. Madison’s sharp contrasts with New Yorkers Hamilton and Jay are well known in the lead up to the development of the United States Constitution. Madison captures the Southern ideological zeitgeist that would set the tone for an independent people well into the 21^st century. Whereas it is unlikely that a 18^th or early 19^th Century local pig farmer or blacksmith would have thought much about the prose used by Madison, the independence of the people is codified in his thoughts and writings.
20. Brokenburn: The Journal of Kate Stone, 1861-1868, Edited by John Q. Anderson: I was introduced to this journal as an undergraduate and it is important for a few key reasons. Unlike the diary of Mary Chesnut, Kate Stone provides a female perspective on an active theater of the war (Vicksburg) from a woman of less generous means. She is thorough in her descriptions of plantation life and management. This book gives insight into Southern women, many of whom would form the backbone of the South in the immediate post-war years due to the heavy casualties endured by the CSA.
21. Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States, Rear Admiral Raphael Semmes: the South has more oceanfront territory than the rest of the continental United States combined. For that reason, the South was once viewed as the natural maritime power of the United States Navy, setting Annapolis, Maryland, as the home of the Naval Academy. Somehow that was both forgotten and neglected during and after the war. The CSS Alabama was the most successful commerce raider in world history – and it was led by Rear Admiral Semmes. This is an important view into a neglected and forgotten theater of the war, as well as the South’s maritime culture.
22. Merchant of Terror: Sherman and Total War, John Walters: if you are a Southern Nationalist, you should know why your people are rightfully angry.
23. Lone Star: A History of Texas and Texans, T.R. Fehrenbach: Texas is too important to the South, its history, and its future. In many ways, Texas and Texans are everything Virginia and Virginians are not. This is an important understanding of the South’s largest state.  
24. The Story of Reconstruction, Robert Selph Henry (1938): as previously mentioned, the historical record continues to get destroyed in an effort to finally reconstruct the South. Henry’s book gives a more powerful, personal understanding of this tragic era.
25. The Essential Calhoun: Selections from Writings, Speeches and Letters, John C. Calhoun (edited by Clyde Wilson): my feelings on Calhoun are much like my feelings on Madison. The men are different in so many ways, yet I view the two as linked philosophically. If Madison is the nail, Calhoun is the hammer that drives home the understanding of a unique philosophical underpinning of the South. All secessionists should know and admire this great Southern statesman.
26. The Civil War, A Narrative (3 Volumes), Shelby Foote, one of the most important collective works on the war, Foote is often derided as a bit soft on the Yankees and comes across as a Lincoln apologist. However, his account of the war as a whole is an important written work.
27. Reminiscences of Peace and War, Sara Agnes Rice Pryor: written by another female of the era, Mrs. Pryor was the wife of Roger Pryor, a Virginia Congressman serving in Washington, DC, before and up through the lead up to war. Her memoir provides incredible insight into the personalities that led to the war, the discussions, and ultimately, her experiences as the wife of a CSA Brevet General and politician.
28. The Golden Christmas: A Tale of Lowcountry Life, William Gilmore Simms (1852): this is the pretty mirror to the hardscrabble Florida tale, A Land Remembered. Written in 1852, this novel gives an incredible depiction of high born, Lowcountry life in antebellum South Carolina. An understanding of the South’s natural embrace of social stratification can be seen upon the pages of this book.
29. Book of Record: The Official Account of Bacon’s Rebellion in Virginia, 1676-1677, Samuel Wiseman’s Record for King Charles II: this is the official record of the British Crown related to the events of Nathaniel Bacon’s Rebellion. It gives significant insight and British perspectives on the colonists and the Crown’s responsibilities to Virginia. It is my personal opinion that Bacon’s Rebellion is the first warning that the American colonies will not accept a Crown they deem to be unresponsive to their needs. More importantly, it offers a glimpse into a distinct colonial culture that sets Virginia apart from its Northern counterparts.
30. The Coming of the Celts, AD 1860: Celtic Nationalism in Ireland and Wales, Caoimh¡n De Barra: having been brought up in an Irish Nationalist household, the subject of preserving and reinvigorating nationalist sentiment among a conquered people is critical toward my understanding of any successful independence movement. This important book tracks the nationalist movements of two very different Celtic people – the Irish and the Welsh. Both enjoy a resurgence in nationalist identity in the mid-19^th Century, but only one truly opts for independence by means of war – the Irish. What were the root causes and successful means of building an internal appreciation for independence amongst a people who statistically preferred remaining within the union of the United Kingdom well up to the moment of war? Southern Nationalists have many of the same challenges as 19^th and early 20^th Century Irish Nationalists endured at that time. We should learn from them.