The Civil War was a long and bloody affair that claimed the life of some 750,000 men. When it ended, former opponents worked to rebuild their common country - America - and move into the future together.

Most modern Americans might find that hard to believe, especially in an era witnessing the tearing down or movement of Confederate monuments and desecration of cemeteries. In the unique and timely Patriots Twice: Former Confederates and the Building of America after the Civil War, award-winning author Stephen M. Hood identifies more than 200 former Confederate soldiers, sailors, and government officials who reintegrated into American society and attained positions of authority and influence in the Federal government, United States military, academia, science, commerce, and industry. Their contributions had a long-lasting and positive influence on the country we have today.

Many of the facts and stories in Patriots Twice will come as a surprise to modern Americans. For example, ten postwar presidents appointed former Confederates to serve the reunited nation as Supreme Court justices, secretaries of the US Navy, attorneys general, and a secretary of the interior. Dozens of former Southern soldiers were named US ambassadors and consuls. Eight were appointed generals who commanded US Army troops during the Spanish-American War.