In previously coauthored books by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese (1941–2007) and Eugene D. Genovese, her name came first, on the principle of Ladies First or, if you prefer, “F” before “G.” This book, too, is a product of decades of professional collaboration in research, in the editing of each other's drafts, and in countless discussions. Here, I place my own name first because, although Betsey contributed considerably to Fatal Self-Deception, her declining health prevented her criticizing, reviewing, and fine-tuning the drafts. Had she lived, she might well have made substantial changes in style and content. Hence, I assume full responsibility for errors and infelicities.

“The War” refers to the war of 1861–65. We use sic only when it seems indispensable. Words in italics are from quoted texts. The names of identified authors of anonymous publications appear in brackets. A question mark indicates that the author in brackets is probable. We use “Southerners” to mean the whites who constitute our principal subject. We identify blacks discretely, although well aware that they were no less Southerners. If we had to qualify “Southerners” every time we referred to whites, the text would become well-nigh unreadable.