Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2025 Gr 9 Up—An insightful and complex volume reviewing 20 foundational lies used by white supremacists to justify the enslavement and post–Civil War subjugation of African Americans. Broken down into four historical periods, from the antebellum period through current day, the work outlines five lies from each time frame, each with an in-depth chapter that discusses prominent individuals and organizations along with their actions to perpetuate these lies. She highlights how these lies are interjected into popular literature and the cinema, academia, the military, and the more well-known governmental laws and regulations of Jim Crow. Throughout, Bausum points out the careful use of vocabulary to frame society and nostalgia for the past, both used to whitewash the horrors of slavery and racism. She discusses the decades-long use of Confederate monuments to instill fear and the use of the false equivalency that their preservation is needed to teach history. Each chapter also contains profiles of Confederate monuments, noting when they were built, how they were paid for, and in some cases, when they were dismantled. While always engaging and informative, the amount of evidence presented can be overwhelming but perhaps that is to be expected given the staggering efforts behind the mirage of white supremacy and the pervasiveness of these lies throughout U.S. history. It all makes for necessary reading. Detailed research is evident with extensive back matter including a time line, source notes, and bibliography (index not seen). VERDICT An important and compelling work that belongs in all high school and public libraries.—Karen T. Bilton - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Other - 07/14/2025 In this searing account, Bausum (The Bard and the Book) dissects the "series of lies" that represented the beliefs of the Confederate States of America known as the Lost Cause following the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War. Across four distinct parts, frank text outlines the buildup to and aftermath of the war, the language used to establish the foundational principles of the Lost Cause, the effect that widespread dissemination of these ideologies has had on future generations, and America’s reckoning with whether "its national story be told with facts or as propaganda." Preceding each chapter are sections presenting Lost Cause falsehoods that "sought to sway public opinion" in favor of the Confederacy ("#1: Slavery Was a Compassionate Institution"). Throughout, Bausum notes how the Lost Cause impacted public policy (Jim Crow laws), popular culture (Gone with the Wind), and education. Collage-like spreads comprised of archival photographs and news clippings highlight key players of the era, and direct quotations from prominent Confederate leaders are featured throughout, helping to further aid in the work’s debunking of romanticized depictions of the titular war. It’s an essential and powerful offering that encourages readers to critically engage with historical record and to use the knowledge they obtain "to better the world." Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) - Copyright 2025