Patriots Twice

...a timely and timeless contribution to the current and on-going national discussion about the legacy and aftermath of the American Civil War in terms of the Confederacy and how it is to be interpreted in our current state of dramatic and divisive political polarization. -- Midwest Book Review Leadership, courage, and fortitude were not limited to the Civil War battlefields, nor did they come to an end at Appomattox. Fortunately for America, Southern veterans worked hard to forge a bright new future for a united country. Mr. Hood has written a marvelous and insightful handbook for those wishing to educate twenty-first century Americans about the contributions of postwar Confederate soldiers. --Lana J. Henley, Honorary President, Texas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy and President, Albert Sidney Johnston 105, Texas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy Sam Hood has made a major contribution to the history of ex-Confederates. Many just returned to their farms and did not enter public life, but many others became public office holders, professional people, and major contributors to our postwar American society. He has done a great job in creating this definitive and comprehensive study. --Jack Dickinson, Bibliographer, Rosanna A. Blake Library of Confederate History, Marshall University Sam Hood's elegantly researched and presented book is part of the fact-based cure for the pandemic of ignorance, intolerance, and ideologically driven condemnation and rejection of our shared past by too many Americans. The unforgiving, rigid, virtue-signaling rush to revile and abandon all those of the past (and of the present as well) who do not meet the current shallow standard of politically correct orthodoxy can only be effectively challenged and stopped by facts in books such as this. Patriots Twice is a testament to the extraordinary character of America and Americans and solidly proves this sadly forgotten truth--those who err can change just as those who are wronged can forgive. This book is a welcome panacea for an unhappy culture of confusion and judgmentalism so sorely lacking in knowledge, patience, forgiveness, and wisdom. This book is a gift to America for now and beyond. --Daniel Mallock, author of NYT bestseller Agony and Eloquence: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and a World of Revolution Patriots Twice poses the question asked so many times to former Confederate soldiers: 'What did you do after the war?' Stephen Hood answers that question by thoroughly researching more than 300 individuals in various fields of endeavor. The answers are going to surprise you. These veterans had a major impact on American governance, education, science, engineering, and the emergence of the United States as a world power. Patriots Twice provides an eye-opening examination of their contributions. It deserves a wide audience--especially today. --Joseph Ricci, Historian, Confederate Memorial Hall Museum, New Orleans Patriots Twice is an exceptionally well-presented compendium with information on scores of Confederate enlisted men, officers, and government officials who made remarkable contributions to the rebuilding and reuniting of our country in the decades following the great war. I was particularly struck by the significant achievements of so many Virginia Military Institute cadets, most of whom were mere teenagers when first tested under fire at the Battle of New Market on May 15, 1864. --Ben Sewell, Executive Director, Sons of Confederate Veterans, 2002-2014 Patriots Twice is a must-read for today's Americans who truly want to understand the critical contributions and roles of Confederate veterans and their inclusion in all aspects of the rebuilding of our nation. If the men who fought one another almost 160 years ago can come to terms, surely we can as well. --Gregory L. Wade, founder of the Franklin (TN) Civil War Round Table and noted Civil War author and speaker Patriots Twice is a first-rate and highly informative account of the major contributions that former Confederates made to postwar U.S. history. It is a well-organized presentation of our willingness to forgive and forget when the war was over. A must for anyone interested in the post-Civil War era. --Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump and Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville: The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War