VIDEO: Shelby Foote talks about the Confederate flag

Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. (17 November 1916 – 27 June 2005) was an American historian and novelist who wrote The Civil War: A Narrative, a three-volume history of the American Civil War (aka the Glorious War of the Secession). I have read this monumental work, every one of the 3000+ pages. In spite of its length, the work is a real page-turner, because of Mr Foote's style. He was a novelist first, then a historian, and The Civil War is not just a dry recitation of dates and battles, but an outstanding example of story-telling. I recommend it most highly.

Shelby Foote rose to prominence -- indeed, to celebrity -- as a result of his appearance in Ken Burns' award-winning PBS series The Civil War, which I also recommend. As he prepared to make the documentary, Mr Burns assembled a group of consultants he could interview. Although Mr Foote's trilogy was on the Burns reading list, the author was not included in the initial group. A phone call from Robert Penn Warren prompted Ken Burns to contact Mr Foote. Mr Burns and his crew travelled interviewed him on camera in Memphis in 1986 and Vicksburg in 1987.

When The Civil War aired in September 1990, Shelby Foote appeared in almost 90 segments, about one hour of the 11-hour series. His southern drawl and obvious erudition made him the star of the epic. He was described as "the toast of Public TV", "the media's newest darling", and "prime time's newest star". The result was a burst of book sales. In just one week at the end of September 1990, each volume of the paperback The Civil War: A Narrative sold 1000 copies per day. By the middle of 1991, Random House had sold 400,000 copies of the trilogy. This stunning literary and historical achievement is still available through Amazon and many other outlets.

Mr Foote's comments and stories in the Burns film deal with a wide variety of battles, characters (both military and civilian), and issues. For instance, he explains why does the same battle is sometimes called by two names, as in the case of Manassas/Bull Run and Sharpsburg/Antietam. (Sorry, you'll have to read the book or watch the film to find the answer!) One thing he does not talk about, though, because it became an issue only in recent years, is the characterization of the Confederate battle flag (aka The Southern Cross) as a symbol of slavery or racism. In this three-minute video he explains why this view of the flag is erroneous or worse.