Plain People of the Confederacy (Southern Classics Series) (ISBN 1570033625)

Sensible, useful brief study:
This short book is based on lectures given by the author. While some of the scholarship and language is a little old-fashioned and some of Wiley's ideas have been questioned by more modern scholars such as McPherson, it remains useful. Wiley presents a refreshingly rational and balanced account of Southern daily life. The material on soldier life is a briefer version of his seminal work "The Life of Johnny Reb". This isn't a highly detailed study, but it will be a helpful and readable text for anyone wanting to improve their general knowledge of the subject.