John Jakes, North and south trilogy should be read by all.

In this order.

North and south, deals with the Decades before the war.
Love and war, deals with the war itself.
and finally heaven and hell, deals with the aftermath of the war, and gets into the Indians a bit.

Charles main is a southerner and a Confederate officer in the books, However he is not really a slavery supporting person. In his own words he went to war to defend his home not to defend slavery, which he personally has issues with. In his boy hood his best friend is a slave on his families plantation. Who he later ends up having to kill, in self defense, when a small band of former slaves attack his families plantation lead by his former friend. In the final book the war is over, and he goes out west to fight Indians.

I just like the name

Oh and I am not from the south.

the books, are a must read, sheds a lot of light on the slavery issue which was not as black and white as it may seem, and the war.

Charles