Richardson's Defense of the South: Or, A Constitutional Defense of the South, Annotated

If you are interested in why the Southern States seceded from the Union, and were willing to endure all sorts of depravations as a result, you must read this book. It is unabashedly and convincingly written from a Southern point of view. If you propose to be a defender of the Southern view of the Constitution, this is a book you should read. This particular reprint of the book has interesting supplementary articles and pictures.